The Vikings Group has paid tribute to its Charity of the Year, Red Nose, with a giant red nose painted on Viking Park oval at Erindale.
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Thursday's unveiling of the oval feature was ahead of Red Nose Day this Friday.
A themed rugby game day on Saturday, July 1 will also see a $50 donation to Red Nose for every successful conversion from all Vikings grades including the women's competition.
Vikings Group CEO Anthony Hill and Vikings head coach Tim Sampson, as well as players Fred Dorrough and Liam McGrath donned a red nose on Thursday, with Red Nose ACT community fundraising coordinator Trudy Taylor, to promote the day.
Mr Hill said the Vikings Group was "a whisker" away from not only reaching but passing its target to raise $80,000 for Red Nose in the financial year.
He said club staff and members voted on which charity to support each year and Red Nose was "a very popular choice".
"The charity is such a worthy cause given that the number of children who die suddenly each year is higher than the national road toll," Mr Hill said.
Trudy said Red Nose Day was the organisation's biggest annual fundraiser.
Funds raised from Red Nose Day go towards Red Nose's lifesaving research into sudden and unexpected death in infancy, safe sleeping education, and supporting families impacted by the death of a child, including miscarriage.
As a direct result of safe sleeping education started by Red Nose in the 1990s, sudden and unexpected death in infancy has been reduced in Australia by 80 per cent. That's more than 9000 babies whose lives have been saved.
But each year, 3200 Australian families still experience the sudden and unexpected death of a child.
Red Nose spokesperson Lisa Ridgley said there were many Canberrans and families from surrounding regions who went through the heartbreak of losing a baby or child.
"It is so important for newly bereaved families to have access to free, trusted counselling, to attend support groups and to have access to peers. We receive on average two new referrals every week and for every little one that dies, more than 60 people are impacted and may require counselling and support," Lisa said.
Volunteers will be out in force selling Red Nose Day products and a host of retailers will be selling merchandise on Friday.
