Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day and while it sounds like a lot of fun, there’s a good cause behind it.

It’s all about raising money for sick kids.

Rebecca Gillies reports.

TRANSCRIPT

While wannabe buccaneers all over the country were wearing eyepatches in honour of pirates, the Childhood Cancer Support group hosted a play date for sick children.

They provide services to families whose children are undergoing cancer treatment.

They’re based near the Royal Children’s Hospital and boast several 2-and-3 bedroom units for families, creating a unique community that supports each other.

Rochelle Luders, CCS resident: “It’s just great. We can depend on them for just about everything. There’s a safe place for kids to come and play.”

Quite often, the families supported by CCS are not from Brisbane, and need a home and support when they arrive for treatment.

For the kids, today is the one time they don’t have to think about their treatment.

Mike Luke, Childhood Cancer Support: “They’ve been talking like pirates for a week, running through the office. It just gets them all excited and makes them laugh, and you know, that’s what they need. They need to be able to laugh.”

Rochelle Luders, CCS resident: “This is great. The kids just get to be kids today. So there’s no hospitals, no doctors, no anything. They can just run amok and have a great time.”

Elsewhere, the ABC got into the spirit of the day, while Facebook users can celebrate by changing their language to ‘pirate’.

Rebecca Gillies, QUT News.