Under the Microscope Winter 2013

The newsletter of Children’s Medical Research Institute Winter 2013 under the micr Features Director’s Desk Cancer risk Brain cancer Prime Minister Westmead Alliance Gala Dinner Glue partnership Star Alliance scholarship High Tea Freddy goes home 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 scope Committees and supporters 6 f 0 Years o 2 For a fundraising campaign to turn 20 is a major achievement. Lasting 20 years in any field of endeavour is hard work. But when you are asking people for their time and money, which dozens of other organisations are also doing, 20 years is phenomenal. Jeans for Genes celebrated its 20th anniversary supporting Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) this year with vigour, grace, enthusiasm, and a bigger street and online presence than ever before. We had volunteers selling merchandise and collecting donations at 70 locations nationwide, with great performances by the Village Performing Arts Group, Jeans for Genes ambassador Adam Katz, and Prinnie Stevens from ‘The Voice’ at our flagship location in Martin Place, Sydney. The campaign received more widespread national news coverage than last year and supporter engagement online through social media sites, websites, and discussion forums was more vibrant than ever before. We’ve received a number of emails from supporters across Australia sharing pictures, videos, and stories from the day, which shows how much they care about Jeans for Genes and want to help research at CMRI. There was also great support shown by our corporate and retail partners; Bendigo Bank, HCF, Big W, Lowes, Westpac, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, Glue Store, Calvin Klein Jeans, Outback Steakhouse, Sam’s Warehouse, Newcastle Permanent, Best & Less, P & N Bank, Crazy Clark’s, and Wide Bay Australia. A big thank you also to our partners Toll, Direct Couriers, Sizzler, Technology One, G-Star Raw and Chubb, with support shown in many forms. Teams wore their jeans, decorated their offices and helped us raise much-needed funds by offering discounts to encourage supporter donations. The campaign re-invents itself each year to maintain support, reach new audiences, and deliver a very important message – help us support Children’s Medical Research Institute by wearing your jeans and giving generously. A big thank you to everyone involved. And now we’re very excited about new ideas and even greater involvement in 2014, to help us celebrate another major milestone – the big two-one. Healthier Kids, Brighter Futures Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI) is an independent organisation committed to unlocking the mysteries of disease. Our scientists investigate conditions such as birth defects, cancer and epilepsy. Our philosophy is that major advances in prevention and treatment come from research into the fundamental processes of life. Our work is made possible by our community of supporters and Jeans for Genes®. Locked Bag 23 Wentworthville NSW 2145 Tel [phone] Fax [phone] Freecall 1800 436 437 Email [email protected] Website www.cmri.org.au © CMRI 2013