The annual charity fundraising event will take place on Friday 2nd March this year
Early Childhood Ireland is delighted to launch National Pyjama Day 2018. Registration for early years settings who wish to participate in this exciting annual charity event is now open on the Early Childhood Ireland website – please visit http://bit.ly/PJDay2018. Now in its 15th year, National Pyjama Day will take place this year on Friday 2nd March. It is the largest one-day fundraising event in the early childhood care and education sector. To date, the event has raised over €2.75 million in support of charities working with young children with additional needs.
On National Pyjama Day, children and staff are sponsored to wear their pyjamas into early years settings. Many settings plan activities such as storytelling, pillow fights, and nursery rhymes, providing an opportunity to highlight the child-centred, play-based curriculum which underpins early years practice. The theme for National Pyjama Day 2018 is Innovative Projects for Children: Indoors and Outdoors. The proceeds raised on the day form a Pyjama Day fund, from which grant amounts are allocated to a number of charities.
In 2017, a hugely successful National Pyjama Day raised almost €200,000. Grants were awarded to six charities, each of which support children with additional needs and their families – DeafHear.ie, Down Syndrome Ireland, the National Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, the Irish Neonatal Health Alliance, Children in Hospital Ireland, and AsiAm. Early Childhood Ireland is supported by the Community Foundation for Ireland in the assessment and administration of Pyjama Day grants.
Commenting at the launch, Teresa Heeney, CEO Early Childhood Ireland, said, ‘We are very excited to launch National Pyjama Day 2018. This initiative is a source of tremendous fun and enjoyment each year and helps to raise much-needed funds for very worthy causes. We look forward to marking the day with settings all across the country, and hope that you will join us in sharing your support!’
Pictured at the launch of National Pyjama Day 2018 are Teresa Heeney, CEO Early Childhood Ireland, with Liam Selfridge (4 years old, in blue ‘Superman’ pyjamas) and Tim Gillanders (2 years old, in navy pyjamas).
