About National Bandanna Day

The first ever National Bandanna Day was held in 1994. Since then, it has grown to become one of the biggest not-for-profit fundraising and awareness raising events in Australia.

Every year, almost 1 million CanTeen bandannas are sold around the country. This is an incredible effort and we love to see bandannas being worn on beaches, in gyms and on Aussie streets throughout the year!

The funky and youth-inspired bandannas have been designed by our friends at Industrie Clothing since 2005. But they are more than just a fashion accessory - they are a symbol of the cancer experience for young people. They also represent the importance that CanTeen places on enjoying every moment and living life to the full.

“Apart from it being just a day where we get funding for our awesome programs, you get a day where people realise that cancer is actually a bad experience, and there is something we can do to help people. The bandanna is an individual, unique symbol: if you see someone with a bandanna, you say ‘Oh, that’s CanTeen, they must have been going through a cancer experience’. It’s our way of saying, yes, we are CanTeen, this is us, support us’”. Benji, CanTeen Member, diagnosed with cancer at 2, and again at 15.

National Bandanna Day is a great opportunity for everyone in the community to show their support for young people living with cancer. You can do this by selling bandannas throughout October and buying a bandanna to wear on National Bandanna Day, Friday 28 October.

Our goal this year is to hit the 1 million bandanna mark! We hope you will join in and help us achieve this. In doing so, you are showing young people living with cancer that they are not alone - and we want to thank you in advance for your support!