The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Issue date: 3/13/09 Section: News

Coleson Breen, a junior political science major, wears a red nose, on Thursday, March 12, 2009 in support of Red Nose Day. Red Nose Day is a fundraiser to help fight poverty in Africa and the United Kingdom.

Generally, people do not make a connection between wearing goofy red clown noses and devastating global famines, but today, CSU students will use the former as a solution to the latter as they celebrate Red Nose Day.

Comic Relief, an organization founded in 1985 in the United Kingdom, serves to raise money to fight international poverty and crisis by "doing something funny for money," and two CSU organizations are signed up to do exactly this.

"When Comic Relief started (the organization) wanted kids to be aware of what it meant to be a global citizen and what extreme poverty is," Ally Murphy, the vice president of the CSU comic relief group named the United Nations Association, said. "And so (organization efforts were) kind of directed at Africa."

The first Red Nose Day, in 1988, brought in approximately 15 million pounds. The event, which is held every other year, alternates with another charity, Sports Relief, which focuses on childhood obesity in the UK.

Across the globe, groups in support of Comic Relief, including CSU's United Nations Association, which was named according to where the group wanted its money to be donated, have raised millions to improved malaria treatment, mental and maternal health and education. In the last 11 years, thousands of Red Nose Day participants across the world have raised over 420 million pounds to help people in need in both the UK and Africa.

Coleson Green, the president of the CSU United Nations Association, which was created several years ago, said that the organization is "always looking for ways that support the millennium goals" for the UN. These eight goals according to the UN's Millennium Campaign Web site include: ending hunger, improving gender equality, improving child and maternal health, combating HIV and AIDS and fostering increased environmental sustainability and global partnership.

Murphy and Green said the money raised from those who purchase red clown noses from the CSU UNA for $2 or simply donate to the foundation will be given directly to Comic Relief.

Continued...

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