PRESTON CITY OVAL TO OVERFLOW WITH RAINBOWS
July 20, 2011
On Saturday July 30, Preston City Oval will be overtaken by all the colours of the rainbow as the Northern Bullants and Coburg Tigers throw their full support behind Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation during the Victorian Football League (VFL) Match of the Round. The Reserves and Senior teams from both clubs will wear Zaidee’s Rainbow Shoelaces, but that is only the start of the impact that Zaidee’s will have on the day.
In addition to the Zaidee’s logo that will be painted on the surface at Preston, both fifty metre lines will be painted with rainbow colours. This will look especially spectacular during the ABC’s live coverage of the match on network television from 1:00pm. The goal umpires will also be getting into the spirit of the day by using specially designed Zaidee’s Goal Flags.
Kim and Allan Turner created Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation in memory of their daughter, Zaidee Turner, who tragically and suddenly died in 2004 at the age of seven after suffering a burst blood vessel in her brain. In the year she died Zaidee was the only Victorian child to donate her organs and tissues, and one of only six children to donate from the whole of Australia. Her gift saved or improved the lives of up to seven other people.
On average around 130,000 Australians die each year but the number of organ and tissue donors numbers only sits in the hundreds. In 2010, 309 people gave the greatest gift of all and results this year have increased again.
“By encouraging parents to speak to their children about organ and tissue donation we hope that those family members currently on the transplant waiting list will have a better chance of receiving their transplant in time,” said Allan Turner, CEO of Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation.
Currently there are 49 children under the age of 19 years waiting for a transplant in Australia. Many of these kids will die in the next 12 months before they receive a transplant due to the lack of donors at the end of life.
Zaidee gave the greatest gift of all after she died, her organs and tissue, so others could live a better life and, in some cases, get another chance at life.
For more information about how to register as an organ and tissue donor, or to download a registration form, please go to www.zaidee.org
Last Modified on 29/09/2011 19:19