We’re delighted to announce that Alannah & Madeline Day is back for its fifth year running on Thursday 17 September!
Join us and help reach our $400,000 goal to give love, comfort and Buddy Bags to children escaping violence.
Each Buddy Bag is filled with new PJs, books, toys and a cuddly teddy bear, to help a child feel safe and loved – sometimes for the first time in their life.
The Alannah & Madeline Day Purple Picnic also returns in 2026!
The Foundation invites communities across Australia to host a Purple Picnic and fundraise for children escaping violence. Whether you picnic at the office, at your daycare centre, in a local park or your backyard, all funds raised will help provide Buddy Bags to children in care.
What is Alannah & Madeline Day?
Alannah & Madeline Day was created in loving memory of Alannah and Madeline who were tragically killed, aged just six and three, at Port Arthur in 1996.
On Alannah & Madeline Day 17 September, we ask the community to unite to help children escaping violence feel safe and cared for.
Because no child should have their childhood stolen by violence – just as Alannah and Madeline's was 30 years ago.
Raising funds to meet the demand for Buddy Bags
Every year, around 11,000 Australian children will enter emergency care because they’re at serious risk of harm or have no safe place to live.
Many of these children will arrive at a refuge or their new foster home with just the clothes on their backs. Every one of those children needs a Buddy Bag, but one in two miss out. We simply can’t keep up with demand.
By donating on Alannah & Madeline Day, you can help change that.
Your gift of $58 can help give a child their very own Buddy Bag. It's their first step on the road to recovery – and a better future.
And when you donate on Alannah & Madeline Day on Thursday 17 September, your gift will be DOUBLED by our Major Matching Partner, Myer Community Fund. This means you’ll give twice the love and comfort to children in crisis.
Your support gave Olivia* a second chance at childhood
When four-year-old Olivia was found, she had been living without adequate food and showed signs of severe neglect.
At the hospital, a Buddy Bag filled with essentials and a cuddly teddy gave her something she hadn’t had in a long time – comfort, dignity and care.
“A sense of relief washed over us,” her dad shared. “It reminded us we weren’t alone.”
This Alannah & Madeline Day, you can help ensure a Buddy Bag is waiting for the next child like Olivia.
*This is a true account, but names have been changed to their safety and privacy.
