TVNZ Sponsors Four New Charities

TVNZ Sponsors Four New Charities

TVNZ has announced the four charitable organisations chosen as the successful recipients of free on-air advertising for the next two years.

The TVNZ Community Support Foundation sponsorship provides charities with free air time worth up to $50,000 a month, which allows the recipients to promote their services and drive fundraising activities.

This year the chosen charities are:

• The Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand
• Special Olympics New Zealand
• BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust
• LandSAR (New Zealand Land Search and Rescue)

TVNZ is committed to helping build stronger communities, in the tradition of New Zealanders helping each other out.

The newly-chosen charities are all organisations reflecting important aspects of kiwi life and the wellbeing of New Zealand’s people.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand aims to increase awareness and encourage men to get regular checks to reduce an unnecessarily high death rate.

“This TVNZ sponsorship is going to save men’s lives. It will enable the Prostate Cancer Foundation to promote the need for men to talk to their doctors about getting checked for prostate cancer,” said the President of the Foundation, Barry Young.

“It is a message that needs to be hammered home repeatedly because if it is ignored prostate cancer can and will kill. TVNZ has provided us with a magnificent publicity platform through which men will be able to make informed decisions about being diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer. It is a gift for which the men of New Zealand, and their families, should be grateful.”

Special Olympics New Zealand aims to empower people with intellectual disability through sports and physical training.

Special Olympics New Zealand Chairman, David Rutherford said: “The timing of this partnership couldn’t be better. This investment provides Special Olympics with the opportunity to inspire more New Zealanders to become involved in a movement that uses community sport to foster acceptance and inclusion of all people. TVNZ is a world leader in the coverage it gives to disability issues. This investment is further evidence of this commitment.”
BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust acts as a funding agency for groups committed to preserving New Zealand’s national bird in its natural habitat, forever.

"We are thrilled at the opportunity to reach more people with our message via a medium that as a charitable trust we could never otherwise afford,” said Executive Director Michelle Impey. “We want every New Zealander to understand - our national icon is in serious trouble - but it's not too late. Together we can save kiwi."

LandSAR is a volunteer organisation providing skilled people and search management expertise to assist the police in land-based search and rescue operations.

LandSAR CEO Hadyn Smith said he is elated that the quiet community heroes that make up New Zealand’s Search and Rescue volunteers will feature in the partnership.

“Most people in the street have no idea about who carries out this vital function alongside the police, and we’re thrilled that the LandSAR name and what we do will gain much needed public profile as a result of this partnership. It’s a very special opportunity for all our volunteers.”

The outgoing charities who have received sponsored air time for the past two years are Surf Lifesaving New Zealand, National Heart Foundation New Zealand, the SPCA, and Refugee Services Aotearoa – New Zealand.

TVNZ has provided charitable organisations with more than $30 million in free advertising time on its channels over a period of more than 20 years.

ENDS