Adelaide Oval will drop the letters ‘A’ and ‘O’ from its name from 15 August – 21 August to support the Australian Red Cross Blood Service’s #MissingType campaign.
To encourage first-time blood donation, Adelaide Oval will also be removing the A and O from its social media logos, partially covering signage on Telstra Plaza and lighting the Oval in red on Tuesday night.
“Adelaide Oval has become a beacon for South Australia and we’re proud of the leadership role it plays in promoting Adelaide to the world,” said Adelaide Oval SMA CEO Andrew Daniels.
“It seems a natural extension for Adelaide Oval to join the #MissingType campaign to promote such an important cause.
“Many of our team are blood donors. It’s a simple but vital service that saves lives, so we’re delighted to be involved.”
Australian Red Cross Blood Service officials estimate that by the time it takes six families of fans to pass through Adelaide Oval’s turnstiles, one Australian will need a blood donation.
The #MissingType campaign highlights an almost 30% international drop in people becoming blood donors compared to a decade ago.
A survey of 25 participating blood services from 21 countries, including Australia, shows the number of people giving blood for the first time was 1.3 million in 2015 – down from 1.8 million in 2005.
A “time poor” society is one reason being blamed.
The week-long #MissingType campaign hopes to encourage people to think about the importance of a couple of vowels when they represent the difference between life and death.
To sign up as a new donor, visit: www.donateblood.com.au/missingtype
Support the campaign on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram by using the hashtag #MissingType.
