Cora Barclay Centre's LOUD SHIRT DAY Set for October 19

The fourteenth annual National Loud Shirt Day will be held across Australia on Friday 19 October, 2012.

Loud Shirt Day, which raised almost $1million nationally in 2011,  is a fundraising day in which individuals, schools, businesses, recreational clubs and organisations are asked to put on their loudest, brightest and boldest shirts and make a donation to help ensure that deaf babies and children across the state get the best available therapy and specialist care. For more information and to register and take part in Loud Shirt Day, go to www.loudshirtday.com.au.   

The South Australian Ambassadors for Loud Shirt Day 2012 are John Kosmina (coach of Adelaide United) and sports commentator Chris Ditmarr. Adelaide based musician and broadcaster Dave Gleeson is a national ambassador.

John Kosmina said, ‘I’m calling on South Australians everywhere to support Loud Shirt Day! Together we can help more kids who are deaf learn to listen and speak.  Deafness is invisible but it has a profound effect on children’s learning and communication. It’s devastating to learn that your baby is deaf, as we did with my fifth child, but with support from us all these kids have fantastic futures. So, let’s all get behind Loud Shirt Day and help give deaf kids a voice!’

Loud Shirt Day began as initiative of the South Australia’s award winning Cora Barclay Centre for hearing impaired children which celebrated its 65th birthday last year. Today the Centre is an Australian leader in Auditory-Verbal Therapy, which teaches deaf children to listen and speak. And although the CBC receives government support it must still raise more than $1million of its operating budget each year and relies heavily on the support of the general public.

Cora Barclay Centre CEO Michael Forwood said, ‘Loud Shirt Day fundraising events are held all over Australia and rural communities provide great support which is terrific as we focus on increasing our services to children in geographically isolated communities. Children who are deaf face a great many challenges and wherever they live the earlier intervention commences the better the outcomes’

The Cora Barclay Centre was the first oral deaf education facility in the southern hemisphere. Over the past 65 years the Centre has assisted more than 3500 families and each year provides a service for more than 250 families many with more than one child who is deaf. Babies arrive at the Cora Barclay Centre from 4 weeks of age and remain with the Centre until they finish high school. Today the Centre provides a one-stop shop helping the deaf learn to listen and speak through auditory-verbal therapy, music therapy, Teacher of the Deaf school support program, audiology, family education and counselling and WHISPA: a youth mentoring and social program.

Take part in Loud Shirt Day simply by wearing your loudest shirt on Friday 19 October and making a donation to the Cora Barclay Centre. Businesses and organisations wanting Participation Kits should call the Cora Barclay Centre on 8267 9200 or register via the websitewww.loudshirtday.com.au

Alternatively, donations to Loud Shirt Day may be made at any Bank SA branch or direct to the Centre at 185 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide 5006.