Support needed for Pirate Day, a major fundraising event for The Kids’ Cancer Project

Nathan Colgan is a parent on a mission to change the outcomes when it comes to children’s brain cancer research, using his lived experience with son Conor’s diagnosis to make a difference. 

In 2014. Mr Colgan got Conor’s primary school on board with a ‘Pirate Day’ fundraising event, which saw children come to school in pirate garb, in exchange for a small donation which would go toward The Kids’ Cancer Project, an independent national charity with a vision for 100 per cent survival of children with cancer while eradicating the harmful impacts treatment can bring.

Nine years on, funds raised from the 2023 Pirate Day will go to Dr Danielle Upton who is researching treatment development for the most aggressive of all childhood cancers, diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

On Pirate Day – Friday 19 May – schools, early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, businesses and individuals alike will put on pirate outfits and raise funds for the worthwhile cause. 

While Pirate Day is officially 19 May, the whole month of May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, and many schools, ECEC services and businesses choose to run a ‘Pirate Week’ to allow multiple opportunities for everyone to be involved. 

Since the initiative began over $500,000 has been raised for childhood brain cancer research. 

To learn more or to register to raise funds, please see here.