UTC Derby supports Jeans for Genes Day 2020
On the 18th of September, students from UTC Derby came in jeans and donated money for Jeans for Genes day.
The national event supports the Children’s Medical Research Institute and helps find cures for children’s genetic diseases. The event at UTC Derby raised over £160 for the charity.
This year the charity celebrated its 25th year of raising funds for children affected by some of the most serious and life-threatening genetic disorders.
The history of Jeans for Genes in the UK begins in 1991 after Paul Newman set up The CGD Research Trust and Support Group.
The aim of the charity was to find a cure for his son and other CGD sufferers through effective gene therapy. The concept of wearing jeans for the day came from one of the Trust’s own supporters, Rosemarie Rymer.
The first Jeans for Genes campaign was in 1992. It was then the CGD Trust mailed 20,00 schools in the UK with a view to having them all join the campaign. The successful event raised nearly £50,000. Then, the following campaign in 1994 saw a further £55,000 raised.
In 1997, the Trust partnered with Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and two other bigger immunodeficiency charities. This boosted the amount of funds to £800,000 that year, and £2.7 million the following year.
Jeans for Genes Day has raised over £45million in its first 25 years. This fantastic sum has made a real difference to affected children all over the UK. We are very proud to have been a part of the fundraising efforts this year.