Fruity Friday will be on 16 May. As well as being a great chance to promote the importance of healthy eating and physical activity in a fun way, it is also one of the ways we raise the money we need to continue with our research and education work.
This year we have had support from celebrities such as Arsenal footballer Theo Walcott and TV presenter Sarah Beeny. It is great that celebrities are signing up to help us get across the message that cancer is a largely preventable disease.
Fruity Friday is something that everyone can get involved in, but this year there is more than ever for children to do.
We have published a lesson plan so that teachers and parents can present ideas about health to children in a fun way. We are also running a competition for children to design a fruity superhero.
This is because when it comes to cancer prevention, it is so important that we get across the healthy message to children as early as possible. Science is increasingly showing that it is what you do across the course of your whole life that affects cancer risk. And the same lifestyle choices that can help prevent cancer are also good for preventing other chronic diseases.
But it is also vital that we do this in the right way and this means that rather than talking about cancer, we should focus on the fact that being healthy is fun. That is why events like Fruity Friday are so good.
I would urge everyone to get involved with Fruity Friday this year. As well as being a positive experience for children, even raising small amounts of money can make a real difference.
- For more information about getting involved in Fruity Friday and to order a fundraising pack, call 020 7343 4200, e-mail fruityfriday@wcrf.org or visit the website at www.fruityfriday.org.