OCSOBER is an initiative by Australia’s Life Education organisation.
OCSOBER is somewhat similar to the UK’s Dry January.
Like Dry January, OCSOBER encourages people to give up alcohol and booze for one month.
Like the name suggests, this takes place during October.
Funds generated from this event are used to empower Aussie kids.
We feel this is an excellent cause and one that could influence our own Dry January when it hits in a few months time.
This year, Life Education aims to raise at least $470,000 [5] through the OCSOBER fundraising initiative.
Below we list how Life Education aims to achieve this goal:
According to Ms. Jennifer Wills from Corrimal, the OCSOBER healthy education initiative benefits thousands of Australians per year.
She says the initiative fundraises for a good cause.
Being a beneficiary of the Life Education programme herself, she says it’s only right that she gives back. That was her reason for joining the OCSOBER initiative in 2014.
Alcohol and drug abuse take its toll on families, relationships, and addict’s health.
Statistics show that about 3200 Australians die each year due to excessive alcohol consumption.
Alcoholism also has a financial cost, with the average alcohol expenditure at $32.20 per week vis a vis $30.60 education expenditure.
Studies also show that families that spend more on alcohol are likely to plunge into financial chaos.
The healthy education programme does well to educate Aussie kids on the negative impact of booze, so they can grow up to make informed decisions.
According to Mathew Hayden, a former cricketer and now an OCSOBER ambassador, the only way to change the world is to start by making personal changes first.
And that’s the spirit behind OCSOBER initiative, that by breaking the cycle of alcoholism in one’s life, Aussie kids get educated and receive skills to live confidently without partaking in drugs and alcohol.
Though the money goes to fund education, participants, or OCSOBERITIES as they like to be called, benefit as they leave the programme feeling healthier and fitter.
One Sharni Williams who is also an OCSOBER ambassador and has participated in the programme for two years now says it is an invitation to think outside the box and figure out ways to happiness without the need for booze.
The funds raised by those who volunteer for the OCSOBER initiative goes to Life Education Australia. It helps to fund health education across Aussie schools to teach children that they can enjoy a healthy lifestyle without partaking in drugs and alcohol.
With over 7 million Australians have already gone through the programme and 750,000 Aussie kids benefiting from the health education initiative, Life Education says so far so good. But the aim is to increase the amount raised each year.
Numbers from Life Education show the following:
90 per cent of past OCSOBER participants say the programme had a positive impact on their health. It inspired them to make the necessary lifestyle changes. The personal benefits of losing the booze for a month include:
Companies can promote the programme, especially during September, and also encourage staff to participate. The CEOs can even volunteer as OCSOBER ambassadors.
They can also hold fun activities to raise money for the OCSOBER programme. And lastly, for beverage brands, launching some alcohol-free drinks is the way to go!