By SONJA KOREMANS
My … what cute little red noses you have.
These Warwick littlies were among the first in the state to don face paint and put the fun into fund-raising ahead of Red Nose Day next week.
Two dozen children at Warwick Early Learning Centre debuted their crimson noses yesterday in a practice run for the national charity event on Friday.
The youngsters will be popping on red clothes and plastic conks to play their part to help save the lives of babies, with gold coin donations for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome prevention.
They’re also looking foward to supping on red cup cakes and playing with more red face paint paint on Friday. It will be the second year the centre’s children have helped raised money for SIDS, and this year their target is $100.
Yesterday, teacher Laura Glothier painted all 30 button noses – sadly too many to fit in our photo – and we commend her handiwork and the kids’ patience. Not a slick of red paint was to been seen on little hands or playroom walls.
Warwick Early Learning Centre director Madelaine Ryan said she hoped the fund-raiser would help younger children take SIDS awareness into a new generation.
“It also helps to raise awareness for parents as some may not understand the risk of SIDS,” Ms Ryan said.
National health charity SIDS and Kids is urging other Queenslanders to support Red Nose Day. The call for action comes as Queensland is revealed as having one of the highest incidence of SIDS across Australia.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show the Sunshine State accounted for over a third (35 per cent) of all SIDS cases across Australia in 2013.
Despite an 80 per cent decrease in the rate of SIDS deaths over the past 24 years, SIDS and Kids Australia CEO Associate Professor Leanne Raven said that figures were still unacceptably high, especially in Queensland and New South Wales.
“Despite huge improvements over the last quarter of a century, there are still far too many devastating cases taking place each year, and we still have a long way to go,” Ms Raven said.
Red Nose Day helps raise money for vital research into SIDS and Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy. Visit www.rednoseday.com.au for more information on Red Nose Day participation.
