NZ landmarks light up, celebrities go red and corporates jump for Red Nose Day

Red Nose Day is back on the annual calendar tomorrow with thousands of New Zealanders gearing up to take part in a variety of activities around the country to make a difference to the health of our children.

Two significant landmarks will be lighting red for the occasion too – giving a nod to Cure Kids, which is on target to raise more than $1 million this Red Nose Day appeal month to support vital medical research which will improve, extend and save the lives of Kiwi kids.

The Christ Church Cathedral in Nelson will shine red at dusk on Friday 28 September, and the Nelson Clock Tower will also go rouge. During the day, Cure Kids celebrity ambassadors Art Green and Matilda Rice will pedal out in red with TV hosts Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce at ‘Whacky Wheels’, a corporate cycling event taking place at Britomart’s Takutai Square.

On Friday afternoon, Cure Kids CEO Frances Benge, Art Green, a courageous grandmother and executives from a range of companies will bungy-jump off Auckland Sky Tower as part of the ‘Red Nose Day SkyJump challenge’.

Red Nose Day festivities will continue well into the weekend, with families in Palmerston North joining ‘Red Walk’, a 5km and 10km fun run/walk on Sunday, which starts at Hardie Street Reserve and follows the Bridal Track along the Manawatu River. There will also be face-painting, a bouncy castle, a BBQ, refreshments, raffles and spot prizes on the day.

At Westfield Albany, kids will take a plunge in the ‘Qantas Ball Pitt’ from tomorrow until Sunday, with return flights to Australia up for grabs. At Botany Town Centre, All Secure Self Storage will inject some competition into Saturday with a ‘Crack the Code’ activation with more prizes on the line, where long-time Cure Kids supporter, singer and TV personality Megan Alatini will be in attendance.

Funds raised through Red Nose Day, which dates back to 1989, have enabled the following breakthroughs over the years;

• Reduced the rates of stillbirth by 40%.

• Prevented over 200 sudden unexpected deaths in infancy every year through increased understanding of risks associated with infant sleep position.

• Developed a new method of screening for cystic fibrosis, allowing for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment resulting in a dramatic increase in life expectancy for sufferers.

• Developed more accurate diagnoses and better treatments for children, parents and families through the discovery of genes that cause epilepsy in childhood.

• Reduced numbers of children suffering and being admitted to hospital with acute respiratory infections in the first 18 months of life through Vitamin D supplementation in pregnancy and infancy.

“The research we support is life-changing, and in many cases, life-saving. We’re confident it will lead to more new medical breakthroughs that will continue to improve and save the lives of children and change the way health conditions are diagnosed and treated,” says Cure Kids CEO Frances Benge.

This year’s Cure Kids Red Nose Gala Dinner, held in Auckland on 14 September, raised over $200,000 towards Red Nose Day, and schools around the country have held mufti days, bake sales and other fundraising events throughout the month.

“We’re excited about the variety of community events and landmark light-ups ahead and can’t wait to see New Zealanders pop on their red noses for this great cause,” adds Benge.

If you haven’t already got a red nose, it’s not too late – Briscoes Homeware, Rebel Sport stores and Columbus Coffee cafes have them available for a $3 donation. Don’t forget to take a picture with your red nose on and share it using #rednosedayselfe and #rednosedaynz. You can also text 933 with ‘NOSE’ to donate $3. For more information visit rednoseday.co.nz.

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