Australia
The MS Readathon run by MS Australia started in 1979 and is Australia’s premier reading-based fundraiser. The MS Readathon encourages Australians to read books, learn about multiple sclerosis (MS) and raise funds to help people living with Multiple Sclerosis.
Participants can read for any 30 days in June, July and August. Sponsorship enables the MS Readthon to provide a certificate and reading rewards to participants who complete the program as a special thank you. There are different categories of rewards, dependent on the level of fundraising achieved.
The money raised by MS Readathon participants helps the MS Society to provide services to assist people living with MS such as physiotherapy, access to specialist MS nurses and respite care, whilst also working towards funding research into this mystery illness.
In the 30th anniversary year of 2009 $2.4 million dollars was raised nationally from over 50,000 participants. Over 1 million books were read and almost 2,500 schools received a visit from an MS Readathon community representative.
In 2010, due to increased interest from parents, grandparents and members of book-clubs,the MS Readathon expanded to further involve adults under the banner of The Novel Challenge.
In The Novel Challenge participants choose a book list, read for 30 days and collect sponsorship which goes towards supporting the 20,000 Australians living with MS.
Read more about this topic: MS Readathon
Famous quotes containing the word australia:
“It is very considerably smaller than Australia and British Somaliland put together. As things stand at present there is nothing much the Texans can do about this, and ... they are inclined to shy away from the subject in ordinary conversation, muttering defensively about the size of oranges.”
—Alex Atkinson, British humor writer. repr. In Present Laughter, ed. Alan Coren (1982)
“I like Australia less and less. The hateful newness, the democratic conceit, every man a little pope of perfection.”
—D.H. (David Herbert)