Christchurch Children About to Make Funky Friends

The Waikato is a fair distance from Christchurch, but local children's entertainers, The Funky Monkeys, are about to bring them a lot closer together.

"We've booked our flights, and we're heading down tomorrow to perform free shows around the city", performer Chris Lam Sam said.

"It's something we've been hoping to do for a while, but funding the trip was our biggest hurdle.

"When we decided to fundraise, that hurdle disappeared almost instantly."

The trio of performers, made up of Joe McNamara, Neil Tolan and Chris Lam Sam, have raised over $2000 for their journey in just three days.

"And the donations just keep coming in.

"The response from the public has been overwhelming. When we've told people what we want to do, they've really dug deep because they believe, just like we do, that putting smiles on kids faces after what Christchurch has been through is a really great way to help," Mr Lam Sam said.

The group has confirmed they are already performing five free shows, most of them in the worst affected suburbs.

"We're hoping to book at least another three shows. With only 48 hours in the city we'll really be cramming them in.

"Christchurch is very special to The Funky Monkeys. We've had great times there in the last seven years, performing in Hagley Park to 150,000 people, and winning our first APRA music award in the James Hay Theatre."

Performer Neil Tolan said the team has been using Facebook and word of mouth to gain interest in fundraising, and to find places to perform in the stricken city.

"The requests for shows in the hardest hit areas came to us through Bridges Church in Cambridge who have partnered with North City church down there. They've both got groups working on the ground in those suburbs delivering all kinds of aid each day. We're really happy to be a part of that outreach," he said.

"One woman in Christchurch wrote to us when she read what we were wanting to do on Facebook, saying she was so happy that we were trying to bring some happy times to children after she watched so many of them walk down her street from the nearby school with their parents in tears.

"We want do as much as we can to help Christchurch children and their families make a happy memory during this difficult time."

The Funky Monkeys will be in Christchurch from lunch time Wednesday to lunch time Friday. They are encouraging the public to contact them suggestions of places they could perform an early evening show on Wednesday and Thursday.

ENDS

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