Let's Go Into the Red

 

 

Today is Red Nose Day!  It is a U.K wide fundraising event organised by Comic Relief.  The extravaganza was founded in 1985 by scriptwriter Richard Curtis in response to the famine in Ethiopia.  Now it raises money for countries in Africa and the United Kingdom.  It takes place every two years in the Spring, and cumulates in an eight-hour marathon of TV treats on the BBC.

 

On Red Nose Day everyone in the country is encouraged to throw caution to the wind, cast their inhibitions aside, put on a Red Nose and do something wild to raise money. In the country's schools, uniforms are replaced by fancy dress and teachers are auctioned off to pupils.  In offices across the nation, assistants take charge, not to mention their revenge, for the day.  On buses and trains up and down the land people plait their hair together, attempt to sit down while wearing a tutu or simply shake hands with their fellow passengers wearing a pair of pants on their head.

The most prominent symbol of Comic Relief is a rubber red nose which is given in various supermarkets in exchange for a donation to the charity.  People are encouraged to wear the noses on Red Nose Day to help raise awareness of the charity.  The design of the nose has been changed each year, beginning with a fairly plain one, which later grew arms, turned into a tomato and even changed colour. In 2007, the red nose was made of foam; this was to facilitate the "growing" of the nose (by rolling it in the user's hands) to keep in line with that year's tagline, The Big One.  Larger noses are also available and are designed to be attached to the fronts of cars and even buildings.

The money raised will help thousands of poor and disadvantaged people across the UK and Africa to turn their lives around.  40% of the money raised stays here at home and 60% works hard to improve lives in Africa.  Whether it be a woman living down your street who is being abused by her partner or a child struggling to survive on the streets of Africa, your cash is helping to improve, and in some cases, save lives.

If you would like to learn more about the appeal or donate some money, click the link below:

~ Comic Relief 2007: The Big One! ~

Join Lenny Henry and co at 7p.m on BBC 1 for an evening filled with lots of laughs, mischief merriment, and the LAST EVER episode of "The Vicar of Dibley".  On a serious note, let's hope they raise lots of money for the less fortunate.

Here is the official single for this year's appeal.  Two of the U.K's most successful girl groups have teamed up to cover 'Walk This Way' by Aerosmith and Run DMC. 

Girls Aloud vs. Sugababes: 'Walk This Way’

Have a wonderful day, everyone x x x