http://www.loudshirtday.com.au/

Loud Shirt Day is a positive fundraising campaign – Friday 16 October 2015.

It’s an excuse to wear your brightest clothes (love ‘em, hate ‘em, whatever) and raise money to help give the gift of sound and speech to deaf children.

Whether you fancy stripes, florals, polka dots or paisley, as long as your clothes have colour and pizzazz, it will be perfect for Loud Shirt Day.

If you’re the social and energetic type, why not organise an event at work, school or with friends? Create a theme – wear your best and brightest frock, the most hideous shirt, the most outrageous outfit – and get people to contribute on the day for the honour of participating (and having a really good time).

Any excuse for a get together is good. Have it over morning tea, lunch, and don’t forget the catwalk parade!

To host or participate, just register online. You’ll be sent a kit containing all the information you need.

All funds raised go to First Voice Centre in your state.

How will the funds be used?

Your gift will help the First Voice centres give deaf children sound and speech.

Your support will open doors to better education and employment choices, social integration with the hearing world and the chance to contribute to their community.

All First Voice centres receive only a portion of their funding from state and federal governments, and rely heavily on corporate and community support and fundraising to raise the funds necessary to deliver intensive therapy services to those families that need them.

It is only through gifts like yours that hundreds of deaf and hearing impaired children can now tell their mothers and fathers they love them.

How to Participate

Choose a date. The official date for Loud Shirt Day 2015 is Friday October 16. But if this doesn’t suit, feel free to choose another date that does.

Plan your Loud Shirt Day. Get creative – cakes and catwalk? Hawaiian shirt competition and raffle? Flashiest frock with a hamper prize? Whatever you do – remember that this is one day where you can get seriously loud and wear your support for deaf children.

Invite people to come along and support your Loud Shirt Day. Use the posters you’ll find in your kit, and the online fundraising tools. Send an email to everyone you know letting them know what you’re up to with Loud Shirt Day and asking for their support.

Wear your support. Show off your best loud outfits. Wear something extra loud on the day you hand out posters. Email a pic of yourself in something loud. Let everyone know how easy and fun it is to be involved.

Say “thanks” to everyone who supported you or participated. Let them know how important their contribution is. Perhaps send them a link to one of the real stories of deaf children who’ve learned to speak so your friends and supporters know what a difference they’ve made.

Collect your donations. Be sure to keep a record of how much money you have raised. Afterwards follow the banking instructions in your information pack to return the funds you’ve raised.

Sit back and give yourself an enormous pat on the back. More deaf children will get the help they need to speak thanks to the fun you’ve had on Loud Shirt Day.