Jeans for Genes
Jeans for Genes Day is a international fund-raiser held in Australia and the United States. The two fund-raisers are not associated with one another and raise money for different institutes.
Jeans for Genes (United Kingdom)
Jeans for Genes (United Kingdom) is a national children's charity, which raises money for the care of children and families who are affected by genetic disorders. Jeans for Genes Day is run by the UK charity Genetic Disorders UK.
It first became a national appeal in 1992. Since then Jeans for Genes Day has raised more than £35 million.
Genetic disorders affect 1 in 25 people born in the UK and include conditions such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia and muscular dystrophy. Their associated health problems mean that genetic disorders are the biggest cause of death of children aged 14 years and under in the UK.
The charity's main fund-raising event is Jeans for Genes Day which takes place penultimate Friday each September in the UK.[1] Millions of people across the UK make a small donation to wear their jeans to work and to school. Supporters are able to register for a free fund-raising pack.[2]
The money raised is distributed through the Jeans for Genes Grant Programme for care services for children and information and support for families. Funding from the appeal was key in the development of gene therapy at the UCL Institute of Child Health at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, which has since cured ten children of the life-threatening condition X-linked severe combined immune deficiency X-SCID or 'baby in the bubble' syndrome.
The charity also aims to raise awareness and understanding of genetics and what it means to live with a genetic disorder. It provides educational materials for schools through a dedicated website called Genes Are Us
See also
References
- ↑ "Rock Your Jeans for Genes. It's For Charity!". Ikon London Magazine. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ↑ jeansforgenesday.org Register for Fundraising Pack