Media Releases

Appeal 2005

August, 2005.- National hospice appeal week has raised more than $405,000 for the country’s hospices.

For the first time, all 37 hospices that come under Hospice New Zealand’s umbrella joined forces for the May 16-22 fundraiser, which included an appeal envelope and the Time to Remember.

Local celebrities, including Hospice New Zealand ambassador and celebrity chef Jo Seagar, Silver Fern captain Adine Harper, Black Cap James Franklin, netball stalwart Lois Muir and Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard, helped to launch the appeal in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

And Hospice New Zealand president Dalton Kelly is delighted with the results so far.

Not only has the appeal raised more than $405,000 to date, it has also brought in almost 4000 new hospice supporters.

About half of the donations received from the first national appeal envelope were new donors. The average donation hovers around the $40 mark.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever asked for funds from the entire New Zealand community. This is a great result. The introduction of the envelope was to complement the Time to Remember event and give supporters another way to give to their hospice,” says Mr Kelly.

“It shows people in our communities are supportive of and want to give to the hospice cause. This is incredibly heartening when you consider that hospices need to raise funds to keep services free of charge.”

Hospices provide palliative care free of charge to people living with a terminal illness, while also supporting family/whanau and friends. Hospices are partially Government funded but rely on community fundraising to cover the remainder of service-associated costs.