Hyundai A-League clubs Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart will show their true colours when they face-off at the Sydney Football Stadium on Thursday night (7pm kick-off) by wearing rainbow shoe laces in support of Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation.
Hyundai A-League clubs Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart will show their true colours when they face-off at the Sydney Football Stadium on Thursday night (7pm kick-off) by wearing rainbow shoe laces in support of Zaidee-s Rainbow Foundation.
Players from both sides will don the colourful laces to help raise awareness for Zaidee-s Rainbow Foundation – a charity which raises awareness about young people considering becoming organ and/or tissue donors.
Zaidee-s Rainbow Foundation was established by Allan Turner after his daughter Zaidee Rose Alexander Turner, aged 7 years and 22 days died suddenly on 2 December 2004 from a burst blood vessel in her brain. Zaidee was a registered organ donor and saved the lives of many ill young children.
“This is a joint initiative between Sydney FC and the Melbourne Heart. We are both proud to support Zaidee-s Rainbow Foundation and the work that it does across Australia,” Sydney FC CEO Edwin Lugt said.
“Through our players we can bring much needed attention to the foundation and hopefully it will get people to stop for a moment and think about the impact and positive change they could have on the lives of families around the country by considering organ donation.”
Zaidee was the only child in Victoria under the age of 16 years, and one of the youngest Australians to donate her organs and tissues in 2004 and was only 1 of 6 children under the age of 16 years nationally to donate their organs and/or tissues.
“Melbourne Heart commends the work of Allan Turner and the Zaidee Rainbow Foundation. Obviously it is truly tragic as to the way the organisation started but what Allan has achieved since is truly wonderful and we are more than happy to assist him in communicating his message and raising awareness,” Melbourne Heart CEO Scott Munn said.
Allan Turner said his daughter Zaidee has left a long lasting legacy and the support of the two Hyundai A-League clubs would help raise the profile of his message.
“The symbol of the rainbow represents hope – after every storm the sun shines and there is a rainbow. For those children and adults on a transplant waiting the rainbow symbol offers them hope. At the end of their rainbow is an organ or tissue donation which will improve, or in most cases save their life,” he said.
“Zaidee-s story is directed at both children and adults, to encourage them to think about and talk about others who are waiting for a life saving donation. To think about the incredible gift they can give to someone they don-t even know – what greater gift can there be?
“Zaidee-s gift allowed other children to have another birthday, and many more after that. One in five people on a transplant waiting list don-t get the chance to experience another birthday. Currently around 20 to 30 children die every year on a transplant waiting list because Australia has too few donors.”
For more information on Zaidee-s Rainbow Foundation visit www.zaidee.org
