FC unveil charity shirt as Adam Pearson hopes for ‘lasting impact’
HULL FC have launched their 2024 charity shirt, with the club supporting a cause close to their hearts: Alzheimer’s Society.
They will aim to highlight the importance of early dementia diagnosis with the limited edition jersey worn at next month’s home game against St Helens on August 3.
The players will play without their names on the back of their shirts, drawing attention to how people with dementia lose precious memories, even the names of their favourite players, signifying one of the cruellest symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia-related memory loss.
Ex-players James Leuluai and David Doyle-davidson, as well as former head coach Royce Simmons, are all currently living with the effects of dementia, while Tony Duke, Chris Davidson, and George Robinson have all sadly lost their battles with the illness in the last 18-months. Dementia is the UK’S biggest killer, and almost one million people are living with the condition, yet a third of those affected have not received a diagnosis.
Hull FC have previously supported Alzheimer’s Society, auctioning their match-worn shirts after the 2022 Magic Weekend fixture. They will do the same this year, with all shirts signed by members of the playing squad and auctioned via the club’s ebay channel, with all proceeds donated to Alzheimer’s Society.
Hull FC chairman, Adam Pearson, said: “As a club, we know all too well the cruel effects that Alzheimer’s and dementia can cause. We’ve seen several of our former players and staff affected by the illness in recent years, some of whom are sadly no longer with us, while I know there are many across our organisation whose family members have been affected too. It is a truly terrible disease that robs people of some of their most basic human faculties—most notably, and undoubtedly most sadly, their memories.
“Alzheimer’s Society works tirelessly to help fund research into early diagnosis and eventually finding a cure, and we’re proud to play a small role in spreading that awareness amongst our supporters and the Rugby League community. If our campaign through unveiling this jersey can help just one person receive an early diagnosis of the illness, it will have made a lasting impact.”