Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation
Logo Concept & Identity Guide by Matt Vergotis (VERG)
Logo Concept & Identity Guide by Matt Vergotis (VERG)
Foundation’s Objective
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation operates withone simple but very important objective: to find a cure for paralysis. The Foundation funds medicalresearch which aims to reach, or in the least part assist the progressiontowards, that objective.
The discovery of a cure is something which the Foundationfounder Perry Cross and his colleagues truly believe will happen - it’s just amatter of when.
Foundation History
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation was establishedin 2010, sixteen years after an unfortunate rugby union accident on the groundsof the famous Ballymore in Queensland rendered Perry a C2 quadriplegic, unableto move from the neck down and unable to breath without a mechanical ventilatorattached to his electric wheelchair.
Having achieved some incredible accomplishments throughouthis time subsequent to his accident, Perry eventually set himself the goal todo whatever he could to assist in the race to find a cure for paralysis - notjust for himself but for all suffers now and in the future.
Perry’s decision came not long after the passing of a manwith whom he had met, been inspired by and subsequently corresponded with forseveral years, Christopher Reeve. Reeve, like Perry, a C2 quadriplegic, hadbeen injured just one year after Perry in 1995 and had spent much of theremainder of his life until his unfortunate passing in 2004 lobbying for spinalinjury sufferers and stem cell treatment.
“When Christopher Reeve passed away we lost a friendand also our spokesman, our figurehead. That was my inspiration to start thePerry Cross Spinal Research Foundation.” - Perry Cross.
Perry devised that his best chance to achieve his goalwould be to establish a medical research foundation where funds raised would gotowards increasing the world wide body of knowledge, treatment techniques andultimately the cure for paralysis.
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation wasestablished, and is currently headquartered, in Perry’s home town of the GoldCoast in Queensland.
About Perry
Perry Cross was injured in 1994 when he was just 19 yearsold. An avid and highly talented rugby union player with a promising playingcareer in front of him, Perry’s injury occurred whilst he was trialling for aQueensland representative rugby side two years after he had completed year 12at The Southport School.
Perry’s achievements since his accident are numerous andinspirational -
• Australia’sfirst motivational speaker on life support (1996)
• Runner-up,International Communicator of the Year (1996)
• YoungQueenslander of the Year (1997)
• YoungAustralian of the Year - finalist (1999)
• FirstAustralian quadriplegic to complete a university degree on campus, graduatingwith a Bachelor of Communications (Business) from Bond University (2000)
• Travelledto the United States of America as Advisor to the United Nations GeneralAssembly on behalf of Young Australians
• Metwith the Australian Governor General and Prime Minister as an envoy forChristopher Reeve and the Christopher Reeve Foundation lobbying for stem cellresearch legislation to be passed in Australia (2000)
• Authoredthe biography ‘Still Standing’ which was published by Random House and releasedin 2005
Perry’s motto is simple and he lives his life by itevery day - ‘Everything is possible.’
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation operates withone simple but very important objective: to find a cure for paralysis. The Foundation funds medicalresearch which aims to reach, or in the least part assist the progressiontowards, that objective.
The discovery of a cure is something which the Foundationfounder Perry Cross and his colleagues truly believe will happen - it’s just amatter of when.
Foundation History
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation was establishedin 2010, sixteen years after an unfortunate rugby union accident on the groundsof the famous Ballymore in Queensland rendered Perry a C2 quadriplegic, unableto move from the neck down and unable to breath without a mechanical ventilatorattached to his electric wheelchair.
Having achieved some incredible accomplishments throughouthis time subsequent to his accident, Perry eventually set himself the goal todo whatever he could to assist in the race to find a cure for paralysis - notjust for himself but for all suffers now and in the future.
Perry’s decision came not long after the passing of a manwith whom he had met, been inspired by and subsequently corresponded with forseveral years, Christopher Reeve. Reeve, like Perry, a C2 quadriplegic, hadbeen injured just one year after Perry in 1995 and had spent much of theremainder of his life until his unfortunate passing in 2004 lobbying for spinalinjury sufferers and stem cell treatment.
“When Christopher Reeve passed away we lost a friendand also our spokesman, our figurehead. That was my inspiration to start thePerry Cross Spinal Research Foundation.” - Perry Cross.
Perry devised that his best chance to achieve his goalwould be to establish a medical research foundation where funds raised would gotowards increasing the world wide body of knowledge, treatment techniques andultimately the cure for paralysis.
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation wasestablished, and is currently headquartered, in Perry’s home town of the GoldCoast in Queensland.
About Perry
Perry Cross was injured in 1994 when he was just 19 yearsold. An avid and highly talented rugby union player with a promising playingcareer in front of him, Perry’s injury occurred whilst he was trialling for aQueensland representative rugby side two years after he had completed year 12at The Southport School.
Perry’s achievements since his accident are numerous andinspirational -
• Australia’sfirst motivational speaker on life support (1996)
• Runner-up,International Communicator of the Year (1996)
• YoungQueenslander of the Year (1997)
• YoungAustralian of the Year - finalist (1999)
• FirstAustralian quadriplegic to complete a university degree on campus, graduatingwith a Bachelor of Communications (Business) from Bond University (2000)
• Travelledto the United States of America as Advisor to the United Nations GeneralAssembly on behalf of Young Australians
• Metwith the Australian Governor General and Prime Minister as an envoy forChristopher Reeve and the Christopher Reeve Foundation lobbying for stem cellresearch legislation to be passed in Australia (2000)
• Authoredthe biography ‘Still Standing’ which was published by Random House and releasedin 2005
Perry’s motto is simple and he lives his life by itevery day - ‘Everything is possible.’
Logo Summation
First and foremost Perry Cross is the brand of the foundation, people come to his charity events to support him and his cause. This is his legacy and I wanted to create something that would represent his positive, inspiring story, and not the misfortune of his accident.
The X for Cross and the colour green has always been the one consistency over the years. Originally I thought the X simply represented his surname 'Cross'. When chatting to Perry he explained to me that it all started because it was his only way of signing his name. This was his mark, and it was at this point the penny dropped for me. There was no graphical wizardy in the world that I could come up with, that could strike the emotional chord and better represent Perry and the X, then if he was to do it himself.
By using his signature artwork as the mark for the logo, we make that direct connection to Perry and assure his legacy and his mantra “everything is possible” is captured with in the foundation.
So I set Perry the challenge to stick a paint brush in his mouth and come up with his own logo.
I went to school with Perry and have done various design work for the foundation in the past. When meeting Perry recently we discussed his brand and the objectives of a rebrand.
First and foremost Perry Cross is the brand of the foundation, people come to his charity events to support him and his cause. This is his legacy and I wanted to create something that would represent his positive, inspiring story, and not the misfortune of his accident.
The X for Cross and the colour green has always been the one consistency over the years. Originally I thought the X simply represented his surname 'Cross'. When chatting to Perry he explained to me that it all started because it was his only way of signing his name. This was his mark, and it was at this point the penny dropped for me. There was no graphical wizardy in the world that I could come up with, that could strike the emotional chord and better represent Perry and the X, then if he was to do it himself.
By using his signature artwork as the mark for the logo, we make that direct connection to Perry and assure his legacy and his mantra “everything is possible” is captured with in the foundation.
So I set Perry the challenge to stick a paint brush in his mouth and come up with his own logo.
