FRESH VOICE

A CALL FOR AFRICAN BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES TO PARTICIPATION IN VICTORIA'S ICONIC CHARITY APPEAL 2017

The Good Friday Appeal is a charity that brings together people from all parts of the Victorian community to support Melbourne's Royal Children’s Hospital. It is an iconic event - known as "the people’s charity", which brings out the best in Victoria's many communities.
The strength of the Good Friday Appeal lies with the thousands of people who volunteer their expertise, time and talent to organise fundraising activities throughout the year, culminating with an all-day telethon on Good Friday on Channel 7. It is one of Melbourne's most watched TV events.
Over 85 years, $310 million has been raised to support research, equipment, education, training and patient-centred care programs at the hospital. In 2016 the Appeal raised $17,445,624.38.
This huge public contribution demonstrates the power of the community coming together to support a wonderful cause. People get involved in the Good Friday Appeal in many different ways, through events and collection groups in metropolitan Melbourne and regional towns, as well as official fundraisers.

The 85-year-old tradition began in 1931 when a group of journalists from The Sporting Globe and ex-footballers organised a sports carnival for charity. The afternoon began with a Cobb & Co carriage procession followed by the competing jockeys and war Veterans as they wound their way through the streets of Melbourne to the MCG. In front of a crowd of 20,000 people, the sports carnival began with a football match involving Victorian jockeys – Flemington against Caulfield, which Flemington won. This was followed by a football game of war Veterans representing the North and the South of the Yarra. Any retired players from World War One onwards were encouraged to put their name forward to play. North of the Yarra were the clear winners of the Veterans’ match.

On Good Friday in 1942, the Herald and Weekly Times' radio station 3DB broadcast the first all-day event, raising 8310 pounds ($16,620) for the Royal Children’s Hospital.
In 1946 the first Good Friday Appeal collection tin was placed on the counter of a Victorian business, the George Hotel in South Melbourne. Today the Good Friday Appeal has tens of thousands of collection tins across Victoria.

In 1957 the all-day Appeal was broadcast on Channel 7 into Victorian homes for the first time.
AAMEYS encourages the African Australian community - both businesses and individuals - to contribute. It helps to raise our profile as a community joining in with the best of Victoria's spirit.
There is no more worthy charitable cause in Melbourne than the Good Friday Appeal for the Royal Children's Hospital.
​
We need to mobilise our communities for the Royal Children Hospital Good Friday in April 2017. It is our opportunity to unit our children, youth, women and men have to work together on the day with our money and effort on the street to collect the money from driving cars and neighbours.