A major fundraising event in Tasmania has been announced in aid of the Ponting Foundation’s Hitting Childhood Cancer for Six program.

To be headlined by Sir Michael Parkinson, this one-off event will be held at Wrest Point Casino on the evening of Thursday 20 January 2011. The event will feature Sir Michael and will include an exclusive live interview with Australian cricket captain, Ricky Ponting.

Sir Michael Parkinson is not only a legendary and respected television and radio presenter, but also an award-winning journalist, who was awarded a knighthood for services to broadcasting in 2008.

Born in a Yorkshire pit village, Sir Michael spent most of his youth sitting in the back row of the local cinema and dreamed of marrying Lauren Bacall, Veronica Lake, or anyone else who would have him. He eventually ended up at the BBC with a talk show that ran for many years and made him an instantly recognisable face. He has sung with Bing Crosby, danced with Billy Connolly and Will Smith, played a love scene with Bette Davis, and had his knee touched by Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kylie Minogue and Dame Edna Everage, to mention but a few sex symbols who have felt irresistibly drawn to his left patella.

The Ponting Foundation’s ‘Hitting Childhood Cancer for Six’ program aims to raise in excess of $500,000 over three years for Tasmanian families that are affected by childhood cancer. The funds will be used to improve the existing MRI scanners at the Royal Hobart Hospital and Launceston General Hospital, assist with training of nurses, provide an additional pool of direct financial assistance, employ and train a psychologist, dietician and additional social workers, purchase new paediatric surgical instruments and to deliver a program of music therapy into Tasmania.

The Ponting Foundation will also directly support the many Tasmanian families who need to travel to mainland hospitals where their children receive a level of intensive and highly specialised treatment that is not available in Tasmania.

The Ponting Foundation invites you to spend an evening with Michael Parkinson, talking about life and career and chatting with Ricky Ponting about their joint passion - cricket.

Ticketing information and further details on the event will be finalised over the coming months. To register your interest and receive event updates, please email your name, address, phone number and email address to admin@pontingfoundation.com.au. Updates will also be posted on the Ponting Foundation website as they become available.

Note that registration of interest does not guarantee provision of ticketing.