Bandaged Bear Day 2003

What's friendly, cuddly, dressed in a groovy blue jacket and has a sore arm and a sore foot? It's Bandaged Bear of course!

Bandaged Bear Day on Friday 28 March 2003 is the major fundraiser for The Children's Hospital at Westmead. This year we hope to raise over $750,000 through the sale of clip-on Bandaged Bears, Bandaged Bear lollies and, for the first time in 2003, special Bandaged Bear Day pens.

The Children's Hospital at Westmead treats many thousands of sick children each year. In fact, over 26,000 children are admitted to the Hospital each year for specialist treatment and over half a million appointments are made through our Outpatient Clinics. The specialist care provided by The Children's Hospital at Westmead is world-renowned and children travel from all over Australia and overseas to receive treatment for a wide range of medical conditions.

We do rely heavily upon the support of community donors to help meet running costs. It costs almost $500,000 to run The Children's Hospital at Westmead each and every day! Amazingly around $400,000 per week comes from donated funds, so it is easy to see how important it is to support Bandaged Bear Day as every donation, no matter the size, helps us to provide the best possible care.

The funds raised by the 2003 Bandaged Bear Day Appeal will an invaluable support in treating all sick children, including those who present to our Emergency Department and those who are treated through our Outpatient Clinics which are held both within the Hospital and in regional centres. These clinics allow many thousands of sick children the chance to be treated by the very best paediatric specialists for conditions ranging from broken bones to diabetes.

The money raised will also fund projects such as those researching the origins and cures for a range of medical conditions. The Children's Hospital at Westmead is a leading institution in children's clinical research, with over 120 staff working on many different projects, committed to turning today's research into tomorrow's medicine.

So make sure you purchase a $3 clip-on Bandaged Bear or other Bandaged Bear merchandise from CityRail, IGA Supermarkets, Kmart, Starbucks, Premier Parking, Payless Shoes, HCF and Amcal chemists from March 10, 2003. With your support we can help make sick kids better.

For further information visit the Bandaged Bear Day website area or contact:

Julie Stromborg
Public Relations
Ph: (02) 9845 3580
Fax: (02) 9845 3564
Email: julies5@chw.edu.au