15 December 2004

Barnardos staff in Auckland, bear gifts for children and families struggling over the Christmas season. The bears, donated by Kmart, as part of its Wishing Tree Christmas Appeal, will be distributed along with other donated gifts in time for Christmas. "We're really grateful to Kmart for providing this great opportunity, and to all those who have donated or intend donating gifts to the Appeal," says Beth Salter, Barnardos Support Manager (Northern).

“They will make a huge difference to the children who receive them. Christmas is traditionally a time for giving. For some families and children, however, Christmas can also be a stark reminder of the hard times they are facing. The gifts raised in this appeal are really appreciated by those who receive them, as are the caring sentiments behind the gifts.”

This is the 10th year that Kmart has run its Wishing Tree Appeal in New Zealand. Last year, more than 13,000 gifts were donated to Kmart’s 12 stores for distribution by leading children’s charity Barnardos and the Salvation Army. The Wishing Tree Appeal runs until Christmas Eve.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>