FAMILIES OF PREMMIES; GOING GREEN FOR THEIR CAUSE

After the resounding success of the first “Wear Green for Premmies” Day in 2011, Ms Julia Toivonen, founder of the L’il Aussie Prems website which hosted the inaugural event, is eagerly looking forward to this year’s fundraiser. The 2012 “Wear Green for Premmies” Day will be held on 4^th April 2012.

Last year’s event attracted around 19,000 attendees and raised awareness of babies born prematurely. It raised much needed funds for five different charities all which support children.

In mid-January this year a Facebook event page was launched in an effort to reach as many families as possible in the lead up to April with over 3,000 already ‘attending’ the event. Word has spread through social networks of the fantastic work being done to raise funds through the “Wear Green for Premmies” Day. Ms Toivonen is expecting that this year’s event will attract an unprecedented number of attendees.

Funds will be raised through the sale of green wristbands sporting various premmie support messages chosen by the websites members. Funds will then be distributed amongst charities that support children throughout Australia. Attendees are also encouraged to fundraise on the day in support of the National Premmie Foundation.

Attendees do not attend a physical event but simply sign up to the event on the Wear Green for Premmies Day Facebook Page and encourage family and friends to wear something green on the 4^th of April 2012.

L’il Aussie Prems was launched five years ago to provide families with an interactive online community that they can access anywhere anytime. Ms Toivonen gave birth to her first baby thirteen weeks too early with her son spending 110 days at Monash Medical Centre in Clayton, Victoria. He started his first day of primary school this week. Ms Toivonen knew that her experience could help families like her own through her online support network which now reaches thousands of families each month. Subsequently, with the launch of social media, the Facebook page has also developed and has given L’il Aussie Prems the ability to reach a far wider audience of families needing assistance.

The website and Facebook page provide families with information and resources as well as the support needed through each stage of a premmie baby’s growth.