Significant city sites up blue this September for Prostate Cancer awareness

The Prince's Gate arches is one of the locations lighting up blue for Blue September. Photo / Supplied

Residents and visitors to Rotorua may notice a blue hue gleaming at a range of locations around the city centre this month.

The change of lighting colour is to support Blue September for Prostate Cancer awareness.

Locations include the I-site clock tower, the Prince's Gate arches, the Civic Centre building tower, Eat Streat, the sculptures in Te Manawa and the canopy of lights at Tutanekai St.

Blue September is the Prostate Cancer Foundation's annual awareness and fundraising campaign.

Fundraising events during Blue September go towards helping to eliminate death and suffering from prostate cancer.

More than 3000 New Zealand men are diagnosed each year, and early detection leads to better outcomes.

The sculptures in Te Manawa lit up blue. Photo / Supplied

The foundation gets no government funding, relying on people's generosity to help spread the message for men to have regular checks, to fund research that will improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes, and provide support for those who need it the most – the men and their families living with prostate cancer.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick says Rotorua Lakes Council has supported prostate awareness, breast cancer awareness and other such campaigns by changing the lighting on some of the city's public buildings.

"Having worked in the health sector, I know the importance of people looking after their health, how vital fundraising is to the organisations that do such great work in this space in our community, and how creating awareness about health issues can help.

"It's great that council is able to play a part."

Council has changed the lighting to blue for Prostate Cancer Awareness month (September), and pink for Breast Cancer Awareness month (October) for a number of years, as well as other awareness days of causes such as World Polio Day (purple on October 24), and others as they are requested.

For more information on Blue September and the foundation, go to prostate.org.nz.