Independent national charity, The Kids’ Cancer Project is launching a signature fundraising campaign to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer research.
The Better Challenge will launch Wednesday, 23 June with a call for individuals, teams of friends, and even businesses to register to run, walk or roll 90 kilometres throughout the month of September – Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Sadly, approximately 90 children are diagnosed with cancer every month in Australia, and as many as 90 percent of those who survive, will develop one or more chronic health conditions.
The Kids’ Cancer Project has a vision of 100 percent survival while eradicating the harmful impacts treatment can bring.
“This is a fitness challenge, but better”, is one of the campaign’s cheeky lines with everyone participating invited to get behind raising funds for medical research that will find kinder, more effective, BETTER kids’ cancer treatments so that children diagnosed not only survive but thrive.
Participants will also have a chance to win prizes as they hit key fundraising milestones.
Created by Marlin Communications, the campaign speaks to everything The Kids’ Cancer Project represents – Science. Solutions. Survival. Visually it includes cute, colourful illustrated hexagon characters that are running, walking and rolling.
Kate Fairclough, Head of National Engagement at The Kids’ Cancer Project spearheaded the initiative and is excited to finally see it launch after nine months of careful research, planning and development.
“The Better Challenge is an exciting new initiative by The Kids' Cancer Project with the core focus being to support better kids' cancer treatments.” - Kate Fairclough, Head of National Engagement
“Through this fundraising campaign, we’ll be able to share our message with an entirely new audience who are eager make an impact for children diagnosed with cancer,” she says.
“The fundraising efforts of every participant are going to first change lives, then hopefully save lives.”
Jennie Smiedt, Head of Marketing and Communications at The Kids’ Cancer Project is eager to change Australian’s perceptions of childhood cancer through The Better Challenge.
“The good news is that in a recent national survey, we discovered many Australians believe that the only way to improve the outcomes for childhood cancer is through research,” she says.
“However, the enormity of the issue is lost on the average Aussie with almost 70% of respondents not realising that the disease that kills more children in this country is in fact kids’ cancer.”
“The Better Challenge is an excellent way for people to reach a fitness goal, be educated about children's health in this country and to make a genuine difference themselves through fundraising."
- Jennie Smiedt, head of Marketing and Communications
In total The Kids’ Cancer Project hopes to engage 1500 people to raise $500,000 in this, the first year of The Better Challenge.
“This is such an exciting time for childhood cancer research, I can’t wait to grow this campaign year to year, involving more people so we can get to a cure faster,” says Kate.
