Smile Day Fun-raising in the community

Dr Fruit Loop and Dr Silly Billy clown around at Woolworths in Bowral, NSW for Smile Day. Flashing Smile Donor badges, pens and temporary tattoos were on sale and Smile Day Principal Partner Cadbury Schweppes donated 5c from the sale of selected products sold over the campaign period at Woolworths & Big W.

Many corporations, businesses, and schools supported Smile Day. The winners of the individual, primary school and high school who raised the most will be announced soon. Most importantly everyone had fun! 

It was smiles all round when Commonwealth Bank staff around Australia celebrated Smile Day, raising over $20 000. Morning teas, trivia evenings and mufti days were all part of the fun! Volunteers also glued thousands of smiles to tongue depressors to create our ‘smiles-on-sticks’. The Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund was also a major Smile Day sponsor. 

“Support for Smile day was outstanding,” said Hugh Harley, Chairman of the Commonwealth bank Staff Community Fund and Executive RBS. “It made me very proud to be supporting such a great cause.”

A fridge donated by Fisher & Paykel and painted by artist Eva Hannah, was auctioned to raise funds. A team of dedicated Fisher & Paykel factory workers in Brisbane broke the standing record for the quantity of refrigerators made in one hour to benefit Clown Doctors. Dressed as clowns to show their support, the team, along with a large crowd of ‘clown-themed’ colleagues and onlookers managed to produce an amazing 18 refrigerators – the previous record was 12. The appliances were donated to help with the Smile Day fundraising effort. Dr Gizmo  and The Humour Foundation Creative Director Jean-Paul Bell were there to show cheer on the team.

“This was a great day for all staff – not only those who participated in the record attempt,” said F&P Cleveland site manager, Roger Cooper.  “There was a buzz in the factory, clown faces were visible everywhere and laughter echoed all round.  I know some employees have been forced to spend time in hospital with their kids and have gained first hand knowledge of the valuable role the Clown Doctors play in lightening the seriousness of hospitalisation, so there was no shortage of enthusiasm from our staff to get involved.”

Blue Care staff in Bundaberg Qld certainly got into the spirit of Smile Day to raise funds! They made their own Clown Doctor costumes, played wacky games with clients, told jokes and had a fantastic day.