'Bluey Day' international VIPs pay a special visit to sick kids

Bluey Day, the day where police fire and ambulance officers lose their precious locks for a good cause, will be held this Saturday 11 August at Rosehill Racecourse. The money raised through Bluey Day will contribute towards research into childhood cancer at The Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia.

As part of the Bluey Day celebrations, Detective Jim Bourke of the New York Police Department and Corporal Jason Knudtson from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will be visiting some of the sick kids at The Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Children's Cancer Institute of Australia. Both Sgt Det Bourke and Corporal Knudtson will be shaving their heads for Bluey Day and are looking forward to supporting such a good cause.

Bluey Day was originally known as Crop-a-Cop and was started back in 1995 in Victoria when Senior Constable Carl David wanted to raise money for children living with cancer. Since children often lose their hair during chemotherapy, he thought it would boost their spirits to see a policeman with a bald head. In the years to follow, Crop-A-Cop became a national event, eventually becoming Bluey Day, as the event now incorporates all emergency services personnel.

To date the event has raised over $7 million nationwide to assist children with cancer and their families and to fund vital research into this potentially deadly disease. This year, Bluey Day organisers are hoping to raise over $500,000 in NSW alone.

Show your support for Bluey Day by going along to Rosehill Racecourse on Saturday 11 August. The race day will be dedicated to Bluey Day and there will be fun races involving plenty of emergency services personnel and a carnival for the kids. And you're bound to see lots of freshly shaven heads!

All media are invited to a photo opportunity of Sgt Det Jim Bourke of the New York Police Department and Corporal Jason Knudtson from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police visiting sick children at The Children's Hospital at Westmead. This will take place at 1.30pm on Thursday 9 August. Please contact Hospital PR for further details.

For all enquiries, please contact:

Julie Stromborg
Public Relations Officer
Ph: (02) 9845 3580
Fax: (02) 9845 3567
Pager: (02) 9845 0000 and quote page no. 6920

Constable Sara Burgess
NSW Police Media Unit
Ph: (02) 9265 4200
Fax: (02) 9339 5630