26 September, 2006: World Youth Day 2008 today launched its online shop for WYD08 merchandise.
The WYD08 shop site - at www.wyd2008.org - includes a special section for official WYD08 fundraisers designed to encourage Church-related groups to use WYD08 products to help raise funds for pilgrims attending the Sydney celebrations in 2008.

"Local fundraising is a major component of community involvement in World Youth Day," said WYD08 Coordinator Bishop Anthony Fisher OP.

"From past World Youth Day experiences, the World Youth Day branded items are enormously popular," he said.

"Church-recognised groups can get online approval to buy WYD08 merchandise at special prices, which they can then sell as part of their fundraising efforts to support WYD08 Pilgrims."

"It's a tremendous way to help young people in your own community raise some money towards their participation in WYD08 in our own country."

Bishop Fisher said he hoped that many Parishes would also extend their Australian goodwill overseas by raising funds to assist Pilgrims from poorer nations come to Sydney in 2008.

"For many of our close neighbours, the Sydney celebration will be a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to actually attend a World Youth Day; we hope to help bring a significant contingent of people from our Oceania region to Sydney."

"Making WYD08 merchandise available for fundraising is also a great way to promote World Youth Day and raise awareness in the lead-up to this important occasion for the Catholic Church in Australia," Bishop Fisher said.

WYD08 merchandise will include t-shirts, polo shirts, caps, stationery sets, key rings, bags and magnets bearing the WYD08 logo. The energetic and inspiring logo encapsulates five separate stories, representing Christ our Saviour, the Catholic faith, the Pilgrimage that is World Youth Day, the youth participants (Pilgrims) and the host city Sydney.

Interested fundraising groups can visit www.wyd2008.org and go to the fundraising section of the site to obtain more details. WYD08 merchandise is also available to the general public from the online shop.

The WYD08 shop is brought to the world in cooperation with Corporate Express, one of Australia's leading online retailers.

Media contact: Carolyn Grant @ Avviso PR for World Youth Day Sydney 2008
Ph: (02) 9368 7277
Mob: 0407 898 727
E: media@wyd2008.org or carolyng@avviso.com.au