Are you ready to channel your inner superhero?
Be a hero for HeartKids and help the fight against congenital heart disease

Friday, June 17, 2022 is Hero For HeartKids Day, a fun superhero event that encourages Australians from all walks of life, including business and community leaders, to unleash their hidden superpowers by dressing up as their favourite superhero for the day.

Hero For HeartKids Day is an opportunity to support real heroes – the thousands of brave children who are living with the life-threatening challenges of congenital heart disease (CHD). There will be an opportunity for individuals and corporates to support the initiative by participating in special superhero challenges in costume throughout the month of June to raise awareness for CHD and demonstrate that true superheroes do exist.

In 2022, HeartKids is on a mission to help the 72,000 Australians who show strength and courage every day as they battle congenital heart disease. For those impacted by CHD, their superheroes include their medical support teams, doctors and cardiologists, their families, business leaders, and the wider community.

Children living with congenital heart disease fight their own daily battle for survival and rely on the many support services that HeartKids provides. Every day in Australia there are eight children born with a heart defect, which means there is one family every three hours whose life will change in a heartbeat. The condition is lifelong with no known cure and many children will require ongoing treatment including open-heart surgeries throughout their life.

All money raised through Hero For HeartKids events goes to providing support for families with children undergoing heart surgery, with hospital support services, a helpline, parent networking programs, and financial support for families who are doing it tough.

HeartKids CEO Fiona Ellis said, “Hero for HeartKids is an opportunity for the Australian community to harness their superhuman powers and be a positive force, directly helping seriously ill children and their families.

HeartKids is there to ensure Australian children, teens and adults affected by congenital or childhood acquired heart disease have a fighting chance to live a long, healthy, and fulfilling life.”

HeartKids corporate sponsors will be conducting special events during the month of June that the community can support to help raise much-needed funds and awareness, including:

  • Drakes Supermarkets – staff and stores in SA and QLD will dress up on Friday June 17, with $2 wall tokens available in store from May 18.
  • Supercheap Auto – staff at stores across Australia will dress up in superhero outfits on Saturday June 18, with fun activities happening in-store throughout the week.
  • TreeTops Adventures – Australia’s largest high rope and zip lining attraction will host an epic, not to be missed weekend at all sites nationally from Saturday 18- Sunday 19 June. The public is invited to find their nearest venue, book an adventure and come dressed up as their favourite superhero on the day.
  • Macarthur Square Shopping Centre, NSW – the centre will host all-day family activities on Friday 17 June with roaming superheroes, activations, in-store window decorations to raise awareness of congenital heart disease and HeartKids.
  • The Grove Shopping Centre, Adelaide –the centre will host a family Heroes Day on Saturday June 18 where the public can meet some of their favourite superheroes and join in on the fun.

To Be A Hero For HeartKids, superheros are encouraged to create a fundraising page for their colleagues, friends, family, and community to show support.  To join the fight visit  https://www.hero4heartkids.org.au/ and register.

About HeartKids 

HeartKids is a registered national health charity. Working with health professionals, HeartKids provides lifelong support for those with congenital or acquired heart disease and their families Australia-wide. HeartKids also funds life-saving research, advocates and informs. To date, HeartKids has committed more than $3.5 million to fund research into the causes, treatment and management of childhood heart disease.

About congenital heart disease

Congenital heart disease is one of the leading causes of death of Australian babies under one and one of the most common birth abnormalities affecting one in every 100 births. Every day, eight babies are born with congenital heart disease and sadly, four lives are lost each week. There is no known cure. Congenital heart disease is a complex chronic disease requiring lifelong treatment.

For further information and to coordinate media opportunities please contact:

Kim Viney or John Wanna, Write Away Communication

Ph: 02 9978 1400 or 0412 868 472 / 0430 302 822

Email: kim_viney@therecognitiongroup.com.au or john_wanna@therecognitiongroup.com.au