The official Good Friday Appeal Campaign for 2024 launched at The Royal Children’s Hospital on Friday 23 February.

At this event the Appeal announced the faces of this year’s campaign, Emily and Finley.

Emily, ten years old and Finley, two years old, have both been patients at the Royal Children’s Hospital since they were very young. They have both received life saving treatment, Emily for the cancer in her brainstem and Finley for his severe spina bifida.

Executive Director of the Good Friday Appeal Rebecca Cowan said: “We are incredibly proud to call Emily and Finley our 2024 Faces of the Good Friday Appeal. Their strength and resilience is an inspiration and an example of why it is important to rally behind The Royal Children’s Hospital. The continued support and generous donations from the many Victorians across the state, alongside all of our generous fundraisers and partners, will ensure that even during the most challenging of times, children like Emily and Finley are able to receive world-class care at The Royal Children’s Hospital. 

“Every dollar raised by Victorians and fundraisers from this year’s Good Friday Appeal is an investment towards The Royal Children’s Hospital’s innovative and life saving projects, building on existing programs to improve childrens’ care.  For the first time in the Good Friday Appeal’s history we will also be taking the RCH excellence into the regions by providing a portion of funds raised to six regional health services – Barwon Health, Bendigo Health, Grampians Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Albury Wodonga Health and Latrobe Regional Health. This recognises both the RCH’s vision to support an integrated paediatric care network across the state and the generous support of regional Victorians to the Appeal”.

This year, Kids Day Out returns to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) where the iconic event has been held for the past 10 years. Thanks to the support of the City of Melbourne and the MCEC who are marking a decade of long-standing support, the venue will see more than 100,000 visitors through the doors on appeal day.

On 29 March, Good Friday Appeal Day, a number of milestone anniversaries will be marked for supporting fundraisers, such as the heart warming Teddy Bear Hospital,  celebrating 10 years of providing children with a positive health care experience in a fun and interactive way at the highly anticipated Kids Day Out program. 

For the eighth year running the exhilarating SuperClash AFL match will also be taking place. North Melbourne and Carlton FC will go head to head for the second year in a row at Marvel Stadium with all funds raised during the event and from ticket sales supporting the Good Friday Appeal. 

From 12pm, Channel 7 will again be broadcasting the Good Friday Appeal live, into living rooms across Victoria for the 67th year in a row, and streaming on 7Plus.

Victorians can do their part this year by getting involved in a number of activities in the leadup to and on Appeal day such as, attending the Kids Day Out, by purchasing a $10 raffle ticket online with over $315,000 worth of prizes up for grabs or by donating online. In the lead up to Appeal Day the public can also take part in the Transurban/Herald Sun’s Run for the Kids fun run on Sunday 17 March.

Emily, Finley and their loved ones represent the thousands of patients and families at The Royal Children’s Hospital who benefit from the selfless donations and efforts from the community that help the hospital to remain at the forefront of paediatric care. 
Donations can be made online anytime to the Good Friday Appeal at goodfridayappeal.com.au

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