WHITSUNDAY community, business and sporting leaders will do 'time' to help keep kids out of crime and raise funds for the Whitsunday PCYC during this year's youth week.

Andrew Telford from Macrossan and Amiet Solicitors, Rob Wilson from Woolworths, Dave Young from Petrol Plus, Bek and Ellen Kerr from Ray White and Prue Buckley from Hamilton Island are just a few of the local identities taking part in the event which raise funds for new youth development and police crime prevention programs.

The event is held for Youth Week (April 4-13). It involves local people getting locked up in make-shift jails at Centro Whitsunday Shopping Centre. The event will be held on Saturday, April 12 with each detainee needing to raise a minimum of $500 bail to be released.

Whitsunday PCYC branch manager Sergeant John Dickinson said all participants would be locked up for about half an hour and they hoped to raise a total of $25,000 this year.

"The idea is for participants to pre-arrange enough donations to meet the minimum bail of $500, but we will accept increased contributions towards their freedom," he said.

"This is a great opportunity for people to be a part of an exciting event that will attract media interest for their business or organisation and is a keen fundraising competition that benefits the local community."

To help build the spirit of the event, all detainees will get a prisoner's uniform and a tin to rattle while behind bars.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible and can be made via the website www.time4kids.org.au by clicking Queensland and searching for PCYC Whitsundays.

For more information or to register, email john.dickinson@pcyc.org.au.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

What: Whitsunday PCYC charity fundraiser Time4Kids

Where: Centro Whitsunday

When: Saturday, April 12

Contact: Whitsunday PCYC on 4948 1144