Friday 14 December 2001
On 13th December celebrities including Mick Jagger, Jodie & Jemma Kidd, Jamie Theakston, Jordan and Partick Cox will be sneaking out in their pyjamas ready for a night of pillow talk, hot cocoa, corridor creeping and pillow fights! The Fashion & Textile Museum will, for one night only, play host to a night of naughtiness as a horde of celebrities clad only in their pyjamas pick up their pillows and join the fight against male cancers.
The venue will include a boy's dormitory, tuck shop, pillow fighting room and boudoir. Guests will be able to indulge themselves as there will be a hairdresser, manicurist and relaxation expert on hand, as well as live performances from Five Guys Named Mo to ensure the night really goes with a swing.
The stars will be jumping into bed to raise awareness and funds for everyman, The Institute of Cancer Research's male cancer awareness campaign. The exclusive party has been organised with the support of a star-studded committee that includes Geri Haliwell, Tania Strecker and Atomic Kitten to name but a few.
The highlight of the evening will be an auction of celebrity pyjamas which will see people digging deep into their dressing gown pockets in a bid to go home in Robbie Williams', Paul McCartney's, Elton John's or Michael Caine's pyjamas!
Jemma Kidd explains why she will be slipping into her nightdress and joining in the bedtime fun:
"The event is going to be totally crazy and involves my two favourite past times because I love being in my pyjamas and I love a good party. There is a really important message behind the party though - we need to make men sit up and listen so that they are all aware of the symptoms of testicular cancer
Recent findings from the everyman campaign show that embarrassment prevents over ¼ of men under 25 from seeing their GPs. The findings give real cause for concern in view of the fact that testicular cancer is the most common cancer amongst young men and has a 96% cure rate if it is caught early. Therefore awareness and early diagnosis of the disease is vital.
Philip Black, Director of Fundraising at The Institute of Cancer Research said: "The Pyjama Party is a really fun way to raise more awareness of male cancers as well as vital funds for everymans' male cancer awareness campaign. Events like this Pyjama Party are crucial to our success. They enable to us to continue our research and to make a real difference in the fight against cancer."
The Institute opened the UK's first dedicated Male Cancer Research Centre in November 2000 to carry out research into many different aspects of male cancers. The centre needs £2 million annually and money raised from the Pyjama Party will go towards supporting this vital research.
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For further information, promotional pictures of the Pyjama Party, or to arrange an interview with Jago Anderson from Wrong Productions or an everyman spokesperson, please contact The Institute of Cancer Research press office on 0207 970 6030 or out of hours 0778 427856 or by email on [email protected]
To see the celebrities arriving in their pyjamas from 9.00pm onwards please call Becky on 0207 970 6030.
Notes to the editor:
- The Pyjama Party is raising funds for The Institute's everyman campaign, a national campaign to raise awareness of and funding for male cancers. The campaign was set up in 1997 to combat a lack of awareness about male cancers amongst the general population and a lack of funding for research.
- Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men from 15-35. Cases of testicular cancer have risen by 70% in the last 20 years but doctors do not know why.
- The Institute of Cancer Research has recently been named a Centre of Excellence for prostate cancer.
- Prostate cancer affects older men. It is the second most common cancer in men, with 21,400 new cases diagnosed every year.
- The Institute of Cancer Research is a charity that depends on voluntary funds.