Birmingham-based charity Cure Leukaemia is launching an Awareness Week this September to raise £20,000 for leukaemia patients across the Midlands.
Coinciding with this September’s Blood Cancer Awareness Month, Cure Leukaemia Awareness Week (23rd- 27th September) will host a week full of activities to raise money for the charity, which funds specialist nurses who administer potentially life-saving clinical drug trials.
Birmingham shoppers will have the chance to donate and test their spelling skills in The Mailbox on Wednesday 25th September as the Cure Leukaemia team is inviting the public to a spelling challenge using giant scrabble tiles from 1pm – 3pm.
On Thursday 26th September, schools across the West Midlands will be joining in Awareness Week by taking part in Wear Red To School Day, which will raise £1 from each participating student. Birmingham writer John Duckers will also be visiting selected schools with his new children’s book, The Amazing Adventures of the Silly Six, which is also raising money for the charity.
One school that will be taking part in Wear Red to School Day is St Andrews School in Barnt Green, Birmingham, where six year old Hannah Bowen is a pupil. Hannah was diagnosed with leukaemia just after her sixth birthday in October 2012 and is currently being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital where Cure Leukaemia funds specialist nurses.
Kay Cholmondeley, Head Teacher at St Andrews School said: “After having a child in our school diagnosed with leukaemia the importance of research became a focus for us. We were made aware of how important raising money is to fund specialised nurses. It also enabled us to show our support for Hannah by doing something practical, both in individual classes and as a school.
“Following on from the success of a little fundraising effort last year, the Wear Red to School Day will hopefully remind us all about children with leukaemia as well as putting part of our school ethos of promoting a positive, caring environment into practice.”
James McLaughlin, Cure Leukaemia CEO, said: “We’ve got an exciting schedule of activity for our Awareness Week this year and it’s great to have the backing of the local community. Funds raised from Awareness Week will go a long way in helping to make our 10th anniversary year one to be proud of.”
For more information or to sign up please email info@cureleukaemia.co.uk or call 0121 236 9202