Westfield Spreads Christmas Cheer

Two national children’s charities, which experience massive pressure points at Christmas, have been announced as the beneficiaries of all gold coin donations from Westfield’s Christmas gift wrapping service at all nine shopping centres across New Zealand.

The two charities, KidsCan and the Child Cancer Foundation, both experience increased need for support at Christmas. Christmas is traditionally a time when families celebrate, exchange gifts and enjoy special meals but sadly for many families with children on the cancer journey or living in poverty, this occasion only highlights what is missing.

Scentre Group’s General Manager of Westfield Shopping Centres, Linda Trainer says the aim of Westfield’s Christmas campaign is to help New Zealand children and families in need by supporting the two very worthy charities and their causes.

It is the ninth year Westfield has supported charities at Christmas, and this year is the first all the shopping centres have chosen the same charities who will equally benefit in a national effort.

Westfield has pledged a $10,000 donation to kick off the fund raising. Westfield shoppers can help these two worthy charities by donating gold coins in return for their free gift wrapping service.

Both charities have identified meaningful ways children will benefit from the project.

Funds raised for KidsCan will directly benefit needy families in the communities of Westfield centres at the beginning of the 2015 school year, through KidsCan’s “In Our Own Backyard” programme, which supports disadvantaged kids in New Zealand.

KidsCan GM Marketing and Fundraising Jan Clark says the support will make a tangible difference for Kiwi children to engage and learn at school by providing food at school, clothing to keep them warm and dry and basic health and hygiene items.

“KidsCan is absolutely thrilled to partner with Westfield this Christmas. Christmas is a time of pressure for families in need and is closely followed by the back to school period in late January – when there is another stretch for families to provide the likes of clothing, food and the basics. The money raised will help many Kiwi kids less fortunate than others become more engaged in their education, so that they can have a better chance of reaching their potential in life,” Clark says.

From the funds raised the Child Cancer Foundation will develop an Essential Care Kit, a comprehensive pack that will assist parents in hospital and along the treatment process, which can take up to three years. The kit will include crucial information about the Child Cancer Foundation’s services and the Beads of Courage® programme, hospital maps, fact-sheets and key items of support for the child with cancer. There will also be a diary to allow parents to keep track of the many treatments, appointments and procedures their children will undergo during the year.

Child Cancer Foundation Chief Executive Robyn Kiddle says the organisation is honoured to be chosen as a recipient of the Westfield Christmas campaign along with KidsCan NZ, another organisation that helps families during tough times.

“Our Essential Care Kit is designed to alleviate some of the stress that comes with being told your child has cancer, and allowing parents to concentrate on the only thing that matters – their very sick child,” Kiddle says. “Feedback from parents and our team has helped us select the most-valued items for the Essential Care Kit, all of which are designed to help the family start this new journey that they had not planned to take.”

The campaign kicks off with Santa’s Arrival party from Friday 21 November to Sunday 23 November.

Celebrities will show their support of KidsCan and the Child Cancer Foundation by being part of the gift wrapping service.

ENDS

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