Did you see ABC's 7:30 last night?
It was a critical reminder of why we all began the campaign for safer poker machines. This campaign is for Getup members like Helena and Karen, featured on last night's program.
Both women lost their partners - the fathers of their children - to suicide over the shame and despair they felt about their addiction to poker machines. They are now bravely speaking up and sharing their very personal stories in the hope that they'll get the attention of the supermaket giants in time to spare other families from sharing their pain.
You can help. Please watch Helena's story and share it with friends and family: http://www.getup.org.au/helenas-story
After an avalanche of recent media coverage, Woolworths desperately wants this issue to go away. But for far too many Australians like Helena, forgetting about the damage caused by gambling addiction and easy access to high-loss poker machines isn't an option.
Most Australians don't even know that Woolies is in the pokies business. They certainly don't know about the harm that the high loss machines they own and operate cause so many Australian families. We can change that. We've already committed to running Helena's story in cinemas across the country over the next four months -- cinemas packed with customers of Coles and Woolworths.
Can you help Helena share her story by sharing this video that Woolworths and Coles don't want their customers to see?
http://www.getup.org.au/helenas-story
Woolworths's legal action last week bought them bit of time, but they failed to intimidate or outspend us in court, or bury the issue under other company business. The EGM is a go and they can't hide from this issue any longer. Come November, every one of their 430,000 shareholders will receive a letter explaining the company's hefty stakes in the pokies business and be invited to vote on reform.
In the meantime, we've got work to do to. We're not about to be silenced or intimidated because a big corporation doesn't want the ugly side of their business exposed.
Click here to help Helena share her story.
Together, we're part of an historic campaign to change business as usual and hold major Australian corporations accountable for every part of their brand. To Helena and thousands of Australians, this isn't just another campaign, or a legal battle, or a shareholders' meeting. It's a chance to save lives, and prevent other families from experiencing the pain they've endured.
Thanks for being part of it,
The GetUp team.
PS - Helena is just of many brave GetUp members who have shared their stories to bring about real reform on poker machines. You can see more stories from inspirational GetUp members and share the petition for safer machines at our constantly evolving campaign site: http://www.getup.org.au/pokiesstories
PPS - if you missed last night's segment on 7.30, you can watch it here.