CHARITY

Take off your pants to give a cure for NF a chance!

WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY

Cupid’s Undie Run Australia goes online in 2021 for even more outrageous fun.

The cheeky charity run that’s raising funds for Neurofibromatosis (NF) research and support is back, and it’s wilder than ever with daring new challenges for its undie-wielding runners! Families, friends and colleagues are encouraged to register before February 14 and get ready for the strip of their lives.

Cupid’s Undie Run has been a crowd-pleasing and successful major fundraiser for the Children’s Tumour Foundation in Australia for almost ten years, where charity runs were held in 15 towns and cities. While things this year are looking up with the global pandemic in Australia, we’re not in the clear just yet. So, in 2021, Cupid’s is going virtual, with free registration open to anyone, anywhere in Australia. The Cupid’s Undie Run will start with an online version of its signature run, before offering up cheeky new challenges each day for two weeks.

The Cupid’s Undie Run Challenge 2021 kicks off on Valentine’s Day, 2021. We’re calling it “Undie Sunday”, and it will be open for everyone to recreate the Cupid’s Undie Run at home or out on the streets. We’re giving you total creative control over your Undie Run experience and want to see you bring your best, as you show off a little flesh – in the name of charity.

This year, the incredible speaker, author, filmmaker and body positivist, Taryn Brumfitt, joins the team as our Lead Ambassador. Her film Embrace and her courses have helped many to learn to love their bodies the way they are. She’s here to let all our runners know to dare to bare, and that no matter how you look, every body is beautiful.

“I’m so excited to be supporting Cupid’s Undie Run as we share the same mindset about our bodies. Let’s just strip down, have some fun, embrace our bodies as they are, and do some real good at the same time for people living with NF. So c’mon, I can’t wait to see all of you in your undies,” said Taryn Brumfitt, a global body positivity champion and Lead Ambassador for Cupid’s Undie Run in 2021.

Janu Dhayanathan was born with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) and used to keep her diagnosis hidden from others.

“Growing up, the standard of beauty set for women by the media was thin, beautiful, feminine, white, able-bodied with flawless skin. I did not feel like I was any of those things, largely as a result of my NF.

Thatis why Cupid’s Undie Run is so important. It celebrates what makes us different. I want everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin, even if they don’t fit into a certain standard,” said Janu Dhayanathan, NF Ambassador for the Children’s Tumour Foundation.

We will have a series of fun and daring challenges starting with Undie Sunday on 14 February through to Sunday 28 February. The challenges will see Cupid’s runners hit a major shopping chain in their undies, singing a few love-songs out at the top of their lungs in their undies, and also putting that Bedazzler to good use designing some add-ons. The final challenge is the easiest of the lot, as runners get to attend a Virtual Sunday Session on 28 February with awesome music, comedy and an awards event for fundraisers and participants.

“Cupid’s Undie Run is the highlight of our fundraising calendar,” said Renee Anschau, Head of Marketing and Fundraising for the Children’s Tumour Foundation. “It may seem like a bit of fun, but once you have stripped down to your undies in public, people want to know why. NF affects everyone differently and can be physically disfiguring, which can lead to feelings of social isolation, anxiety and depression. We run to celebrate our differences and to give the NF community a voice.”

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disorder that affects 1 in every 2,500 people and causes tumours to grow on nerves throughout the body, including the brain and spine. It is unpredictable, progressive and there is currently no cure. NF can lead to a range of significant health issues including deafness, blindness, paralysis, physical difference, bone abnormalities, cancer, learning difficulties and chronic pain. In Australia, a child is born with NF every three days, and treatment options are limited.

How to get involved?

● The Cupid’s Undie Run Challenge 2021 runs from February 14-28, 2021. To get involved, it’s easy. Repeat after me. I take my pants off for charity!
● Sign up to the challenge at cupidsundierun.com.au from now and start fundraising! The list of challenges can be found here: cupidsundierun.com.au/challenges
● You can even purchase the official Cupid’s branded undies from cupidsundierun.com.au/store to show your support
● Anybody can show their support or register to take part in the national activities at cupidsundierun.com.au

Follow @cupidsundierunoz and @ctfaustralia on Facebook and Instagram.
#CupidsChallenge #CelebrateDifference #ConquerNF #ImWithCupid

About Children’s Tumour Foundation
The Children’s Tumour Foundation (CTF) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering families impacted by Neurofibromatosis (NF) with the knowledge, connections and support needed at every stage of their journey. NF is a term for three distinct disorders: NF1, NF2 and Schwannomatosis. The CTF also raises funds to support promising medical research aimed at finding new treatments and ultimately a cure for NF.