This month marks the 35th annual Red Nose Day, to be held on Friday 11th August, with Australians encouraged to get on board to stop little lives being cut short and help grieving families get the support they need.
The first Red Nose Day, held in 1988, paved the way for today’s landscape of national charity fundraising days, urging Australians to wear a red nose and get “silly for a serious cause”.
35 years later, Red Nose Day is still a much-loved and iconic national fundraising event, with thousands of people taking part in Red Nose Day activities across the country each year.
Despite having reduced SIDS by 80% and investing more than $18 million into lifesaving research, Red Nose’s work is far from over. 3,000 babies and young children still die suddenly from stillbirth, SUDI and other causes each year, and it is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in miscarriage.
Red Nose Australia CEO, Keren Ludski, encourages everyone to show their support by buying merchandise, registering to hold a fundraising event or making a donation.
“From the beginning, Australians have embraced the silliness and seriousness of Red Nose Day to help stop little lives being cut devastatingly short,” Keren said.
“While the 35th annual Red Nose Day is a great time to reflect on how far we’ve come, the fight is far from over – more than 3000 babies still die suddenly and unexpectedly in Australia each year.
“Red Nose invests in research to stop little lives from being cut short, as well as offering education and specialised counselling to grieving families.
“Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. Red Nose Day is an opportunity for every Australian to offer their support to grieving families and prevent more little lives from being lost.”
Every dollar raised on Red Nose Day will directly fund around-the-clock support services for grief-stricken families as well as education programs for new parents to help keep their babies safe.
Donations will also contribute to cutting-edge research to further determine the causes of SIDS and stillbirths in a bid to prevent as many tragedies as possible.
Donate now at rednoseday.org.au/donate