AUSTRALIA - DANIELS DAY - 31 OCTOBER 2008

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AUSTRALIA - DANIELS DAY - 31 OCTOBER 2008

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MEDIA RELEASE - 27th October 2008 - DAY FOR DANIEL NOW A NATIONAL EVENT

This Friday 31st October 2008 the Daniel Morcombe Foundation is holding its 4th annual Day for Daniel and all schools and the general public across Australia are invited to participate. In previous years the Day for Daniel has grown from a Sunshine Coast event into a State event and now the Foundation has taken it Australia-wide.

Bruce and Denise Morcombe have just returned from a whirlwind trip to Perth , Canberra , Adelaide , Hobart , Launceston, Townsville and Cairns where the focus was on promoting the Day for Daniel to become a national day of significance.

“Denise and I want to ensure the awareness event is bigger and better than ever before which is held on the 31st October every year,” Bruce Morcombe said. “This is a three year plan starting in 2008 with Queensland , South Australia , ACT, Western Australia and Tasmania . In 2009 Victoria, NSW and NT will come on board.”

Denise said the National expansion of Day for Daniel has many businesses helping out this year.

“All the Subway restaurants across the Sunshine Coast , Heritage Building Society branches and about 100 Red Rooster branches across Queensland are supporting us by selling merchandise,” Denise said.

Supporting this initiative is an animated television commercial running nation wide.

“We decided to take this campaign to a national level to ensure children Australia wide keep safe.” said Denise. “Daniel did not get a second chance, but the Daniel Morcombe Foundation through its Day for Daniel is helping children learn protective behaviours because Daniel’s story is ‘real’.”

“Day for Daniel is now a National event and growing each year. We are aware of personal safety lessons and activities in hundreds of schools across Australia from Cairns to King Island and Canberra to Karratha today,” said Denise

Up to 250,000 students Australia wide are expected to participate in the Day for Daniel 2008. In Townsville and Bowen alone, around 20,000 students, which represents almost 100% participation by schools in those areas, have personal safety events and activities planned.

“Walk for Daniel, an integral community activity on the Day for Daniel makes a visual statement to predators that crimes against children have no place in modern Australia . Growing each year and with interest in our work nationally we have a truly exciting concept to keep kids safe,” said Bruce.

This year, community walks are also planned in Hobart (noon from Salamanca Place ), Townsville (9am Willows State Primary School ), Toowoomba, Bowen to mention a few.

Sunshine Coast “Walk for Daniel” – Media Event with Photo Opportunity

31.10.08 starts 6.30am Suncoast Christian College Woombye

Arrive by 6.30am, speeches at 6.50am, walk starts 7.00am,

Walk concludes 7.45am, event closed at 8.00am - Kolora Park Palmwoods.

Interview opportunities with:

Bruce and Denise Morcombe , Daniel Morcombe Foundation Committee members, Foundation Patron Kay McGrath, Senator Clair Moore, Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson, Sunshine Coast Regional Council Mayor Bob Abbott, Sporting Icons Ian Healy and Shane Webcke. Up to 600 local people are expected to participate in the walk.

“On the Sunshine Coast we start the day with a community walk from near where Daniel was abducted from. Hundreds of school students and the local community join us in red t-shirts to show their unwavering support,” Bruce said. “It’s their way of showing that Daniel will never be forgotten. It also symbolises Daniel walking home from the bus stop to Palmwoods, a trip he did not make, but we will complete that journey for him.”

Daniel’s brothers Dean and Bradley will cut the ribbon to start the walk.

During official speeches Denise and Bruce will also acknowledge the global phenomena of child abduction and recognise the ongoing struggle of families like theirs.

Daniel Morcombe is missing, feared abducted and murdered. He disappeared on 7 December 2003 while waiting to catch a bus on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland . He was 12 days away from his 14th birthday.

Parents Bruce and Denise established the Daniel Morcombe Foundation in 2005. The Foundation has evolved into a dynamic, practical and hands-on organisation that is dedicated to making the world a safer place for all children.

The valuable work of the Daniel Morcombe Foundation includes:

Direct assistance in educating children regarding personal safety with over 9,000 “Foundation Red” DVD’s distributed free of charge to schools throughout Australia ,

A recent $10,000 donation to the Queensland Homicide Victims’ Support Group to help produce their “One Punch Can Kill” DVD,

Financial assistance for victims of crime with counselling and schooling requirements,

Sponsorship of the Laurel House Educational Puppet Show in schools, and

The current development of a world-class online child safety education program.

For further information see www.dayfordaniel.com.au or www.danielmorcombe.com.au

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Further information: Melinda Haeusler: 0407 645 652

melinda@fcmarketing.com.au

Daniel Morcombe Foundation: 0434 326 435

danielfd@bigpond.net.au