“Good sports day 2001” is the annual fundraising and awareness campaign for Children’s Cancer Institute Australia and is to be held this year on Friday July 27. The campaign raises money for childhood cancer research, the leading cause of death among children in Australia.

It I supported by teachers at schools nationally conducting a “Sports Mufti Day” or a “Run for Their Lives” fun run in which students are sponsored by parents and friends and all participating students receive a Good Sports Day Uncle Toby’s award for their involvement. Each school also receives a free primary or secondary school education kit with video which focuses on human relationships and mutual response towards the impact of cancer, with positive learning activities aimed at personal development, health and physical education.

Schools which raise the most money are eligible for prizes, such as visits to the school from some of Australia’s top athletes and well-known iron men and women. Last year close to $1 million dollars was raised through Good Sports Day to fund research undertaken by the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia.

The Institute is the only one of its kind in Australia devoted soley to research into diagnosis, treatment, cure and prevention of childhood cancer. The Institute’s research into neuroblastoma has received worldwide recognition and interaction with children’s hospitals in North America.

Only a small portion of the Institute’s research effort is supported by government. It relies heavily on community support to carry out this vital research. Although the cure rate has progressed from around 10 per cent to 70 per cent in the few decades since its formation in 1976, the Children’s Cancer Institute Australia aims at a cure rate of 100 percent. Cancer remains the most common disease causing death in children.

In the lead-up to “Good S[orts Day 2001” there are many things individuals in the community can do to be a good sporty.

There is a Website www.goodsports.dav.com.au which runs a daily multiple choice type sports quiz. It is easy to enter and there is a fantastic prize to be won each day. The online daily winners will then compete for the major prize, a Mitsubishi car!. Also on the Web site from July 1 to Friday July 27 there will be a daily online auction of an exciting collection of sports memorabillia, experiences and lifestyle products for purchase. All proceeds will go to Cancer Institute Australia.