The UNCLE TOBYS Big Splash Swimathon is a national fundraising event which will be held in swimming pools across Australia to help raise funds for the Royal Life Saving Society - Australia to reduce child drowning and support your favourite local charity.
Drowning remains one of the largest causes of accidental death in Australian children. More than 50 children aged between 1 and 15 drown every year.
UNCLE TOBYS is proudly working together with the Royal Life Saving Society - Australia to help make a difference and change these statistics, with the implementation of the Royal Life Saving Swim and Survive Drowning Prevention Strategy.
The Royal Life Saving Swim and Survive Drowning Prevention Strategy aims to increase:
- Awareness - Raise awareness of the importance of swimming and water safety education to children's long term health and safety.
- Access - Ensure that children don't miss out because of their background. Key targets are children living in at risk communities including indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse, and rural and remote communities.
- Pathways - Provide scholarships for enthusiastic people to become swimming and water safety instructors to eliminate instructor supply as a barrier to swimming and water safety education.
- Research - Initiate new research on the causes of drowning in Australian children aged 3 to 10 years old and the issues affecting drowning in adolescents and young adulthood.
As you raise money through the UNCLE TOBYS Big Splash Swimathon, half the money you raise will go to the Royal Life Saving Swim & Survive Drowning Prevention Strategy. The other half will be allocated to your locally nominated not-for-profit or charitable activity*, based upon the following three options:
- Royal Life Saving Swim and Survive Drowning Prevention Strategy doubling the funds raised and impact.
- Not-for-profit organisation as part of a local fundraising cause e.g primary school fundraising for new library books for the school library; swim club fundraising for new manikins and equipment for the pool lifesaving team.
- Registered charity
Everyone can register, whether you are part of a:
- School
- Aquatic Centre / Swim School
- Sporting Club / Community Group
- Corporate / Business
- Nestle/UNCLE TOBYS
- Or you can register as an individual.
Anytime between Tuesday 6 October 2009 and Wednesday 31 March 2010.
Register as a group or an individual, decide on your Big Splash venue and set your Big Splash Challenge**.
Rather than locking you into a set activity, we're inviting you to be creative and set a challenge that suits your group, whether that be:
- Incorporated into your school swimming carnival.
- A stand-alone school based event.
- An aquatic facility driven fundraising event.
- A Family Fun Day fundraising event which is facilitated by your own corporate organisation, sporting club or community group.
- Your own personal aquatic challenge.
Being active, healthy and having fun in the water, your Big Splash activities could include:
- Swimming a set number of laps.
- Completing a swimming novelty challenge. e.g. parent vs teacher showdown.
- Any personal or group challenge. e.g. office departments/teams competing against each other to be the office champion.
* Terms and conditions apply. See website for further details (www.bigsplashswimathon.com.au). Note: for groups who are not a registered charity or not-for-profit organisation, you are not legally entitled to direct funds back into your business. You will need to nominate for these fundraising proceeds to go to either a not-for-profit or a registered charity.
** Terms and conditions apply. See website for further details (www.bigsplashswimathon.com.au) .
To view all the key information for the UNCLE TOBYS Big Splash Swimathon be sure to visit the website at www.bigsplashswimathon.com.au.
If you would like to receive further information and be updated on the UNCLE TOBYS Big Splash Swimathon please register your details by clicking here.
