This initiative wants businesses to engage employees to raise funds for people with spinal cord injuries. The aim is to get businesses of all sizes involved by registering and offering an extra day paid leave for their staff to win. Once the business is registered, the Big Day Off takes care of the rest. Because the initiative is online, businesses with staff in different offices or sites across the country can participate. Staff can buy raffle tickets online for $5 each in the draw to win the extra time off. The funds raised through ticket sales go to Spinal Cure Australia and Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.
SpinalCure CEO, Duncan Wallace is grateful businesses are jumping on board to fund vital research and services. “Scientists are unanimous in the view that spinal cord injury is curable. It is not just a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’. This is the second year of the Big Day Off and our aim is to get 5,000 businesses to sign up.” Businesses that have already signed up include Uber, the ASX, NRL and ARL, Pandora and Experience Oz.
More than 15,000 people in Australia have a spinal cord injury with over half caused by vehicle accidents, followed by everyday falls and sporting injuries. The most likely age group at injury is 15 to 24 years and 84 per cent are male. Estimated health and care costs for spinal cord injury in Australia is $2 billion annually.
The Big Day Off initiative runs until midnight, June 30, 2017 and the winners from each registered business will be drawn on July 3, 2017.
To register a business visit: www.bigdayoff.orr.au or www.facebook.com/bigdayoffaus