Pirate Day Friday 2017 Announced

Pirate Day Friday 2017 Announced

Embrace your inner scally-wag on 9 June 2017 for childhood cancer research.

Children, office workers and whole townships across Australia are encouraged to embrace their inner scally-wag and dress up like a pirate on 9 June 2017 for childhood cancer research.

Now in its third year, Pirate Day Friday is a national fundraising initiative to raise money and awareness for research into the treatment and cure of childhood brain cancer.

Pirate Day Friday was a concept conceived in tragic circumstances when in 2014 Nathan Colgan of Perth, learned his son, Conor (then aged 5), had an aggressive brain tumour.


Read more: The Pirate Day Friday story.

“The more I read up on the disease, the more heart broken I became. I discovered that for every two children diagnosed with a brain tumour, one will sadly lose their life. And the ones that do survive often have severe lasting side effects,” Nathan said. “The only way to change this is to put more funding into scientific research.”

All it takes to make a difference is the donning of an eye patch and the donation of a gold coin.

Last year over 500 schools and early learning centres across the country along with workplaces like Bayer and whole town of Malanda in Far North Queensland got involved. Since Pirate Day Friday started in 2015, over $200,000 has been raised for childhood cancer research.

All funds raised from the campaign in collaboration between The Adventurers and The Kids’ Cancer Project, are directed to funding vital childhood brain cancer research.

Col Reynolds OAM, founder of The Kids’ Cancer Project is delighted with the initiative.

“It’s great to have a bit of fun to fundraise despite the serious nature of kids’ cancer. Many people aren’t aware that the causes of childhood cancer are unknown, that there is no prevention and that research is the only way to improve treatments and survival,” he said. 

“The Kids’ Cancer Project is an independent national charity supporting childhood cancer research. Since 1993, we’ve been able to contribute more than $34 million to research projects to help children with many types of cancer, thanks to strong community support.”

Matt Fitzgerald, Director of The Adventurers and father of Abby (7) who has been in remission from brain cancer for 2 years, encourages all people to get on board with this fun initiative which has a serious positive impact on funding. 

“The most significant issue for families affected by childhood cancer is the continued existence of a disease for which there are no solid answers,” he said.

“The focus of The Adventurers and The Kids’ Cancer Project is the same -  to find the answers and cure. That is why we fund medical research. Getting involved in Pirate Day Friday on 9 June allows everyone to become a contributor in making possible the medical research which ensures the improvement of diagnoses, treatment and ultimately cure of childhood brain cancer is in the foreseeable future.”

All Australian’s are encouraged to register their Pirate Day Friday at www.piratedayfriday.org.au.

The facts:

  • Childhood cancer is different to adult cancer.
  • Cancer is the leading cause of death of children by disease.
  • More than 100 children aged 0-14 die from cancer in Australia each year.
  • One in 4 of these deaths is a child with brain cancer.
  • Three families everyday hear the words, “your child has cancer”.
  • Treatment for childhood cancer may involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.Post treatment children have debilitating life-lasting side effects caused by the current treatment options.