It’s not easy being green – especially when you’re bathed in maroon-light instead of moonlight as part of the Lions’ Mission Maroon week night-time celebrations.

Cadbury’s Freddo Frog joined flippers with the Brisbane Lions, Network Ten, the True Sport Lives Here program and the Major Sports Facilities Authority to illuminate the Gabba’s Gate 2 and Stanley Street sections in professionally-rigged, maroon coloured spotlighting from Wednesday 6 June to Sunday 10 June 2007.

The reddish glow was projected onto the stadium from buildings and scaffolding across the road using large maroon cellophane sheets and giant spotlights, as well as from directional lights mounted onto Gabba structures high above Gate 2.

Wednesday night’s debut ‘flick of the switch’ was indeed a perfect night for frogs (if not for a complex network of professional maroon lighting!) as Brisbane’s prolonged drought was momentarily broken by a day of heavy downpours and spot flooding.

Unfortunately, the extreme conditions altered plans for the live ‘flick of the switch’ on Network Ten’s nightly weather report, with so much dramatic weather for the news crews to cover that evening. Not to be daunted, the Hedgehog Events* lighting company flicked the switch while Freddo lapped up the rain beside the mighty maroon-lit Gabba walls.

Cadbury was a crowd-favourite match-day sponsor when the Lions asked supporters to wear their true maroon colours to the game when Aker returned in his new colours last Saturday night as the Brisbane Lions took on the Western Bulldogs.

Cadbury distributed free Eden smooth superfine chocolates to patrons who at least got to sample the sweet taste of quality chocolates instead of the sweet taste of victory over the Doggies at the very end of the night.

Mission Maroon was part of official Queensland Week celebrations and helped to launch the Queensland Government’s True Sport Lives Here program. This initiative is all about encouraging positive behaviour in junior sport both on and off the field between children, parents, spectators, officials, coaches and volunteers so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of sport in their community.

True Sport Lives Here was launched at the match by Sports Minister Andrew Fraser at the Chairman's Circle corporate function and pre-game on the field to all Gabba spectators.

The actual theme of Queensland Week this year was Wear maroon with pride. Thanks to the generous support from Cadbury, their Eden chocolates and their amphibious ambassador Freddo, 30,000 people got to wear maroon and glow maroon with their pride of Lions.

For more information on Cadbury please visit http://www.cadbury.com.au/
For more information on True Sport Lives Here and to access resources, please visit http://www.sportrec.qld.gov.au/

*Hedgehog Events - Tel: 07 3804 6044, http://www.hedgehog.net.au/ for events, incentives & displays.
Lighting contact: Steve Bond, Producer – Mob: 0414 260 039, steve@hedgehog.net.au