The match this weekend between St Pauls and Cheltenham will see both players and Umpires wearing rainbow shoe laces in support of the Zaidee's Foundation.
“The St Pauls Football Club are delighted to be involved in such a wonderful project to help create awareness regarding the Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation organ and tissue donation program. It is a very special program which has helped to save lives already and through this activity all players and umpires hope that even more lives will be saved via this very worthwhile and needy cause,” said Paul Howroyd, St Pauls Football Club senior coach.
Kim and Allan Turner created Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation in memory of their daughter, Zaidee Turner. Zaidee tragically and suddenly died in 2004 at the age of seven after suffering a burst blood vessel in her brain. Of the 103 children under the age of 16 who died at the Royal Children’s Hospital in 2004, Zaidee was the only Victorian child to donate her organs and tissues that year.
Zaidee was also one of only six children to donate nationally and one of the youngest Australian donors on record in 2004. The donation of Zaidee’s organs and tissues resulted in the lives of up to seven others being enhanced or saved.
In 2012, Australia had the highest donation rate in the past 43 years of transplants on record of 354 solid organ donors, giving 1052 transplants to those that now have a second chance at life or a great improvement to their life, but we still need more people to keep donating at the end of life to keep this result high.
“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,” Allan Turner, CEO of Zaidee’s Rainbow Foundation said.
“We also hope that families who are faced with the same situation of losing a loved one can feel gratified to know that from their loss they are able to help others,” said Kim Turner, Zaidee’s Mum. “I urge all sporting teams, clubs, businesses and organisations to show your support like the St Pauls and Cheltenham Football Clubs and wear Zaidee’s Rainbow Shoelaces to reflect support for this subject. Zaidee’s Rainbow Shoelaces are Australia’s National Symbol for organ and tissue donation."
"Zaidee gave the greatest gift of all after she died; her organ and tissue, so others could live a better life and in most cases just live. Please talk about this with your loved ones."
For more information please contact Allan Turner on 0412 985 211 or via email:
allan@zaidee.org 
