Locking in the love

Calling all Perth couples. The fine folk at the Heart Foundation in Western Australia are on the hunt for a newly engaged (or about-to-be engaged) couple to be one of the faces of their big Australia Day fundraising event which is all about two of our favourite topics: LOVE – and hearts, of course!

The event, called Lock in the Love, involve members of the public declaring their love on a giant LOVE installation (pictured above) which will be covered in hundreds of love locks, the same types that adorn bridges across the globe.

Love locks are padlocks couples attach to bridges as a gesture of unbreakable love. The padlocks are decorated with the lovers’ names and locked, and the keys are then tossed into the river the bridge crosses, symbolically sealing the couple’s love forever.

Paris’ Pont des Arts, pictured below, is the world’s most love lock covered bridge. In fact, in June 2014, a portion of the famous bridge collapsed under the weight of the tens of thousands of locks that have covered it over the decades.

The Heart Foundation’s main Lock in the Love campaign will run in Perth’s Murray Street Mall between January 23 and February 16 and, during that time, couples – or anyone wanting to leave a message of love or good luck (or even good health) can visit the installation and, for a $10 donation, they’ll receive red padlock and a metallic, heart-shaped fob onto which they can their message before attaching it to the giant LOVE installation.

The aim of the Lock in the Love campaign is to raise awareness of heart disease, Australia’s No.1 killer, and to raise badly needed funds for research.

“Lock in the Love is a fun, interactive campaign that is designed to engage Australians of all ages to lift awareness about heart disease and raise much-needed funds to continue our important work in the community,” says the Heart Foundation’s WA Chief Executive Maurice Swanson.

“Love locks have become a symbol of love and commitment around the world, with people locking padlocks on structures and throwing away the key to symbolise their everlasting love.

“This novel healthy heart awareness campaign will harness this phenomenon and use it to educate, inspire and engage with the wider community.”

The Lock in the Love campaign is also running in South Australia and Victoria but if you’re a newly engaged or about-to-be engaged Perth couple who’d like to feature in the campaign, please contact Linda Bolton via email.

Oh, and if you’re popping along, don’t forget to share the image on social media using the hashtag #lockinthelove. For more information, visit www.lockinthelove.com.