Defacing of billboard upsets foundation
Charity says using heart disease message for political ends ‘unthinkable’. Phillipa Yalden reports.
A Heart Foundation billboard in Hamilton has been defaced in political protest.
The billboard, aimed at raising awareness of heart disease as ‘‘New Zealand’s biggest killer’’, was erected in Commerce St, Frankton, early last month.
On Monday the foundation was informed by a member of the public the blackened out image of a man representing the disease as a ‘‘serial killer’’ had been replaced with a sketch of Prime Minister John Key’s face.
Head of marketing Vanessa Winning said Heart Foundation employees and volunteers were upset the billboard had been used for political protest.
‘‘It’s really disappointing that a charity is being targeted to score political points.
‘‘I find it unthinkable that someone would vandalise our billboard, and consequently mock a seriously crippling disease, just to make a political statement.’’
It is believed the vandalism was done sometime during the weekend and only happened in Hamilton.
Hamilton West National MP Tim Macindoe’s office has also been informed of the stunt.
The blackened out image of the face of a man representing the killer heart disease as a ‘‘serial killer’’, left, has been replaced with the face of John Key.
The chief press secretary for the prime minister, Sia Aston, said the office was disappointed to hear of the defacing.
‘‘It’s extremely disappointing for the Heart Foundation as this level of vandalism not only targets an important charitable organisation to make a protest point, it also leaves them with a hefty damage bill,’’ Aston said.
The billboard is one of several erected around the country for the charity’s nationwide annual appeal to raise awareness and funds towards fighting heart disease.
‘‘Heart disease devastates thousands of families and communities in New Zealand every year. This is an incredibly immature and callous act. People are diagnosed with heart disease every day and have to live with the consequences. To think that such a personal and destructive topic is being used to score points is very sad,’’ Winning said. Whoever was responsible for the defacing went to ‘‘a lot of trouble’’ to measure and produce the image of Key.
Heart disease claimed more than one life every 90 minutes and many of those deaths were premature and preventable, she said.
‘‘We work hard to stop the prevalence of heart disease in New Zealand, and an act of vandalism like this is very discouraging.
‘‘We don’t have the money to waste on fixing vandalism of this nature – to rectify it saps precious money needed for our vital health programmes and research.’’
The Heart Foundation initially believed it would have to remove the entire billboard but yesterday afternoon confirmed the billboard company had investigated and was able to remove the sketch of the prime minister and restore the billboard.
phillipa.yalden@fairfaxmedia.co.nz