IT workers letting sick kids down in 2006

Stan Beer
Tuesday, 18 April 2006 17:42

IT People - Enterprise

The Starlight Children’s Foundation and Giant Steps organisations, which assist seriously ill and hospitalised children in Australia, have so far been let down by lack of financial support from IT workers in 2006.

The IT Fund for Kids (www.itfundforkids.com) is a national fundraising initiative supported by Australia's IT&T community, with proceeds from individuals and their organisations funding programs for the Starlight Children’s Foundation and Giant Steps.

The two main ways the fund raises money each year is the ‘Know IT All’ Dinner Challenge, a gala dinner held at the Hilton Sydney on May 25 and costing $1500 per table; and the Donate a Day’s Pay initiative, where employees donate directly through their company’s payroll and employers match their donations. So far this year the response has been great for the gala dinner. However, the Donate a Day’s Pay project has not been well supported. Unfortunately the Donate a Day’s Pay initiative usually forms the larger part of funds raised in the campaign, so it’s a real shame that companies aren’t participating to the same level as previous years, say the fundraisers

In 2005 many companies declined to participate due to their commitments to Tsunami relief, and pledged to return to the campaign this year.  As many of the companies haven’t retuned to the campaign this year, it begs the question – if the IT industry is so profitable, if spending and wages are up and employment is high, how is this market buoyancy being used for the greater good?

§         IT Fund for Kids has been running since 2000.

§         In 2006 the industry is aiming to raise $500,000.

§         Each year over 600,000 children are hospitalised across Australia with an increasing number of children spending extended periods recuperating in the home following hospital treatment.

§         Starlight currently reaches one in three seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families.

§         By 2010, Starlight's goal is that three out of three seriously ill or hospitalised children and their families will have the opportunity to access and benefit from Starlight's programs.

§         This means raising $30 million dollars.

§         Funds raised will go towards placing more Starlight Fun Centres, offering mobile entertainment including computer games and movies, in children’s wards across Australia. 

§         Starlight’s goal is to have one Starlight Fun Centre to every 8-10 paediatric beds.

§         A new program that Starlight is developing in 2006 will be a virtual private online environment for children across Australia, both in hospital or recovering at home.