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5 Things You Didn't Know About Red Nose Day

More than $1 billion has been raised worldwide through the campaign in the last 25 years

Red Nose Day is a fundraising campaign that's raised more than $1 billion worldwide in an effort to end child poverty. On May 25th people will come together to celebrate the day and raise funds — you probably recall your favorite celebrity taking part, too.

But what else goes into Red Nose Day? How does it work, and what's its history?

Here are five things you may have been unaware of about the worldwide fundraising campaign.

The Funds Benefits Kids in Every State
All 50 states in the United States receive support from funding raised by Red Nose Day. Some of the things the money funds include meals, access to education and life-saving vaccines, according to the campaign’s official website. Money also goes to communities in Latin America, Asia and Africa. There were more than two million children impacted by Red Nose Day funds in 2016. 

The money benefits other charities within the U.S., too, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Feeding America, charity:water and the Children’s Health Fund, among other organizations. 

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The Inaugural Campaign Launched in the U.K. 
Red Nose Day, though widely celebrated in the U.S. since 2015, was started in the United Kingdom by Comic Relief — a British charity started by director Richard Curtis. The organization's focus is using comedy to raise funds for children around the world. Comic Relief launched live on BBC One from Safawa refugee camp in Sudan on Christmas Day 1985, and the first Red Nose Day was held in 1988. 

Some of the Noses are Hairy; Others Have Faces
The noses change all the time. Some have been average-looking red noses, while others have been a bit more eccentric. In 1993, the noses were styled as miniature tomatoes. And in 2009, they had faces etched into them. Other noses have been entirely covered in hair, while others had hair and faces, tongues, and even a variance in colors. Red noses can only be purchased at Walgreens and Duane Reade. 

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It's Celebrated on Different Days
In the United States, Red Nose Day is being celebrated on May 25 this year. In the U.K., it was celebrated on March 24. NBC airs Red Nose Day specials in the U.S., while the BBC broadcasts them in the U.K. England also celebrates the holiday every other year, alternating with another Comic Relief fundraiser called Sport Relief. 

There Are Many Ways to Donate
There's more than one way to donate money to Red Nose Day's efforts. People whose employers use a payroll giving mechanism can arrange for a regular deduction to be taken out of their pay for Red Nose Day. Employees whose companies operate matched-giving can also get a matched giving form from their employer to be sent with their donation. The easiest way to make an individual donation is online, but checks can also be mailed in, and funds can be donated through the phone as well. 

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