For Immediate Release
Tuesday 16 September 2008
New Zealand first country in the world to “give peace a chance”
PUMA NZ and Peace One Day celebrating International Day of Peace with celebrity football match in Auckland on Sunday 21
September
New Zealand – PUMA NZ and the non-profit organisation “Peace One Day” are teaming up to celebrate the international day
of peace – with New Zealand the first country in the world to kick-off.
Peace Day is an annual 24 hours of ceasefire and non-violence that was unanimously adopted by the UN in 2001.
PUMA is a major supporter of “Peace One Day”, an organisation that was founded by Jeremy Gilley in 1999.
They will raise awareness for Peace Day, with a celebrity football match at Western Park (Freeman’s Bay), Auckland
Central on Sunday 21 September. NZ’s geographic location means it will be the first country in the world to launch the
2008 Peace Day and everyone is invited to attend the event to show their support.
Stars playing on the day include Neil Waka, Amber Peebles, Noah Hickey, Simon Doull, Shavaughn Ruakere, and Peter
Urlich, with Brooke Howard-Smith as MC.
In September 2007, PUMA International announced a long-term partnership with the British non-profit organization Peace
One Day at a gala at London’s Royal Albert Hall. PUMA’s commitment was based on the organizations’ shared values such as
inclusiveness, leadership, passion, and willingness to push boundaries.
Filmmaker Jeremy Gilley began Peace One Day (POD) as a film project to establish an annual day of global ceasefire and
non-violence. In 2001 Peace One Day’s efforts were rewarded when the United Nations unanimously adopted September 21 as
the annual day of global ceasefire and non-violence.
“We support the aim of Peace One Day and want to make a contribution to the generation of global peace on one day,” said
Jochen Zeitz, PUMA CEO and Chairman. “We are delighted to be a strong and long-term partner of this exemplary
initiative.”
The first ‘ONE DAY ONE GOAL’ match was initiated in January 2008 in Ghana. Through this collaborative initiative, PUMA
and Peace One Day have asked people around the world to play football on September 21, with each match symbolising
cooperation, unity and the power of football to bring people together in peace.
The aim of the ‘ONE DAY ONE GOAL’ initiative is to encourage people to play football all over the world, whether in
major stadiums, local pitches, in the streets, on the beach, in the office, at home - it doesn’t matter. Over 150
matches are expected to take place in countries across the globe in honour of the Day, many supported by PUMA sponsored
club teams and top talent.
As a direct result of Peace One Day's campaign in 2007, Afghanistan recognized Peace Day resulting in 1.4 million
Afghani children being vaccinated against polio. Last year, 100 million people in 200 countries were engaged in Peace
Day activities.
For more information on PEACE ONE DAY, visit www.peaceoneday.org and for global stockist information, please visit our
website www.puma.com
Event Details:
What: PUMA Peace One Day Celebrity Football Match
Where: Western Park, Freeman’s Bay, Auckland (bottom field, off Beresford Street)
When: 11am, Sunday 21 September 2008
Information: Event includes celebrity football match (kick-off approximately 11.45am), free sausage sizzle courtesy
of the Mad Butcher, Red Bull girls, free face painting, music by George FM, performances by hip-hop group TMC and the
Vodafone Cheerleaders, giveaways.
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PUMA® is the global athletic brand that successfully fuses influences from sport, lifestyle and fashion. PUMA’s unique
industry perspective delivers the unexpected in athletic and lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, with technical
innovation and revolutionary design. Established in Herzogenaurach, Germany in 1948, PUMA distributes products in over
80 countries. For further information please visit www.puma.com.
ENDS