Aside from the Christian significance of Good Friday, for Victorians the day also marks the traditional Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. The all-day telethon, telecast on HSV7 Melbourne and Prime Television in regional Victoria, with the support of radio stations 3AW and Magic 1278 and the Herald Sun newspaper, is the culmination of various fund-raising activities by charities and community groups throughout the previous twelve months. 
The appeal was started in 1931 as a sports carnival run by the Sporting Globe newspaper, then later expanded to a radio appeal on sister station 3DB, and in 1957 made its first television appearance on HSV7.
Last year’s appeal achieved a record total of $A11,788,970.87.
UPDATE @ 22.3.2008: The 2008 Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal has signed off with a record breaking final total of $12,482,380.00!
The Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. Friday 21 March, from 9.30am. HSV7 Melbourne and Prime Television (Victoria)
Official site: Good Friday Appeal
Pictured (top): Seven National News reader Mal Walden and weathergirl Ilona Komesaroff in 1978 (TV Times)
(middle) Jeanne Little and Mike Willesee in 1977 (TV Scene/HWT)
(above) Garry Meadows and The Great Temptation‘s Barbie Rogers in 1975 (TV Scene/HWT)
