BLUE SEPTEMBER NEWS

Blue September lit up AAMI Park

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MELBOURNE VICTORY CSA OR HERE TO VIEW MARK HOLDEN AT AAMI STADIUM

Melbourne’s newest premier sporting stadium, AAMI Park, went blue for the A-League game on Wednesday 15th September, changing its lighting for the first time to support awareness and fundraising campaign Blue September. The famous honeycomb stadium was bathed in blue light, providing passersby and spectators for the night’s game with a rare once off view of the unique structure. Melbourne Victory FC were behind the lighting, dedicating the entire match in support of the campaign.

Blue was the theme for the night, with staff in the crowd painting faces to encourage people to ‘face up to men’s cancers’, along with blue child mascots accompanying the players from both the Melbourne Victory and visiting Wellington Phoenix onto the pitch. Mark Holden, Blue September Ambassador, spoke on Fox Sports before the game and on the pitch, urging men to go and get a checkup this September. The Community Service Announcements were played on the big screen throughout the night and there was even an entire blue seating section (filled with 500 Blue September supporters) as part of the fun.

It was the first time that the stadium had changed its lighting for a game and it is hoped that the generous gesture will help to get the word out about the need for people to 'face up to men's cancers'.

"Blue September is all about raising awareness, getting the word out about men's cancers and raising money for cancer research. If we can encourage men to be conscious about their cancer risk then I couldn't be happier," said Holden.

 The Melbourne Victory boys have also personally done their own part for the campaign, reaching into their own pockets to take part in a special promotional deal running between Van Heusen and Blue September. The players, including Kevin Muscat and Archie Thompson, each brought a shirt from Van Heusen, with $5 from the buy going towards the campaign – and they didn’t look too bad either!

It is all about raising awareness and funds for men’s cancers through Blue September, proudly supporting the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and Bowel Cancer Australia.

Each year 22,000 Australian men are expected to die of cancer, with 1 in 2 Australian men being diagnosed with cancer at some stage of their life by age 85*.

The national Blue September campaign is aimed at raising awareness about cancers that affect thousands of men each year in Australia, but which can often be prevented through lifestyle choices. At the campaign’s centre is the fact that more than 59,000 new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in Australian men this year*, however the number of cases could be reduced significantly by choosing healthy lifestyle choices.

You can make a difference too - click here to purchase a shirt from shirtcentral.com