We’re delighted to announce that Alannah & Madeline Day is back for its fourth year running on Thursday 18 September!
Join us and help reach our $350,000 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.
To grow the impact of Alannah & Madeline Day, the Foundation has also launched the Purple Picnic – a fundraising initiative inviting the community to come together and raise vital funds for children escaping violence. Register to host any day in September.
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.
The month of September, and Alannah & Madeline Day, is a time of generosity where compassionate people come together to change the lives of children who’ve experienced violence.
Raising funds to meet the demand for Buddy Bags
This 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 half are missing out. We simply can’t keep up with demand.
By donating on Alannah & Madeline Day, you can help change that.
Your gift of $55 can help a child living with the pain of trauma to heal with their very own Buddy Bag.
And when you donate on Alannah & Madeline Day on Thursday 18 September, your gift will be DOUBLED by our Major Campaign Matching Partner, Myer Community Fund. This means you’ll help twice as many children to heal, recover and thrive.
A Buddy Bag brought comfort to Theo* during a scary time
When nine-year-old Theo and his mum Etta* escaped a violent home, all they had was each other. Theo was terrified. He clung to his mum and wouldn’t let go. Everything he knew was gone.
But thanks to our kind supporters, Theo was given a Buddy Bag. A backpack filled with pyjamas, toiletries, a soft teddy bear and other comforting items.
One Buddy Bag can make a world of difference for a child like Theo.
As his mum Etta said, "He wasn’t scared anymore. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t sad.”
This Alannah & Madeline Day, you can help ensure a Buddy Bag is waiting for the next child like Theo.
*This is a true account, but the names have been changed to protect the family's safety and privacy.
