Today 185 students from Brighton Secondary School, North Brighton in Adelaide, South Australia will write a book in one day to fund children’s cancer research.
It’s all part of the annual national Write a Book in a Day competition run by independent national charity, The Kids’ Cancer Project.
The school has entered 30 teams in the competition. Pupils will be given a brief and then within 12 hours they will write, illustrate and submit a storybook of up to 5000 words to be donated as an e-book to children undergoing treatment in hospitals around Australia.
Since 1993, thanks to strong community support The Kids’ Cancer Project has contributed tens of millions of dollars to scientific studies to help children with many types of cancer. The Write a Book in a Day competition encourages students to seek sponsorship for their efforts to help fund childhood cancer research driven through the charity.
The Kids’ Cancer Project fund research projects all around Australia and right now are funding two studies in South Australia (more detail below) to help children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Also known as acute lymphocytic leukaemia, the disease affects lymphoid stem cells and grows quickly. It is the most common type of leukaemia in children, occurring mostly in younger children (aged 2-4 years).
“We have had up to 100 students involved in this annual event in the past, but this year participation has nearly doubled and we have multiple teams from years 8 to 12. Write a Book in a Day promotes our school values of curiosity, courage and citizenship. It inspires creativity and collaboration amongst students while also providing them with an opportunity to support their community,” said Cherie Morgan, Curriculum Leader of English.
“Not only will our students develop leadership skills, engage in teamwork and creative problem solving, the process of planning, writing, editing and illustrating a book links the activity to key Australian Curriculum and SACE capabilities and achievement standards,” continued Cherie Morgan.
In 2019, 440 schools around the country participated in Write a Book in a Day and raised $475,000 for childhood cancer research.
Col Reynolds OAM, founder of The Kids’ Cancer Project is delighted with the initiative.
“This is a wonderful program because it stimulates young minds while giving them the opportunity to help other young people,” Mr Reynolds said.
“Research is the only way to improve treatments and survival for children with cancer,” he went on to say. “Government funding only stretches so far, so it’s important the community steps up to support kids with this indiscriminate disease.”
You can support the school’s fundraising initiative by donating via writeabookinaday.com or https://writeabookinaday.com/school-groups/?id=6833. You can also give directly to The Kids’ Cancer Project online thekidscancerproject.org.au
More News
