Salvation Army present Crown with Valued Partner Award

Media Release
25 November 2013

Salvation Army present Crown Relocations with Valued Partner Award

Crown Relocations is thrilled with the success of their ‘Big Sallie Surprise’ charity drive for the Salvation Army. In recognition of their efforts the Salvation Army has presented Crown with the Valued Partner Award. Crown is just the fifth company in New Zealand to receive the award.

Working in partnership with the SKYCITY Breakers basketball franchise a total of 92,000 cans of food were donated along with $43,000 in additional product and service value.

The proceeds of the charity drive will go towards filling the Salvation Army's food banks during the Christmas holiday period. The food banks are a lifeline to thousands of people who struggle to feed themselves and their families.

Breakers fans were asked to bring either a can of food or a dollar to the team's home game at Vector Arena against the Adelaide 36'ers on November 15. The donations on the night boosted the can tally which stood at 85,000 before the game. The final tally was well in excess of double what was hoped for at the start of the month-long campaign.

On the eve of the game Breakers legend Dillon Boucher told Breakfast that when he was approached by Crown "we liked the concept of what they were trying to do, and obviously for such a great cause we got right in behind it".

Captain Jenny Collings, from Salvation Army's Albany Bays Corps, told Breakfast the fundraiser had been "huge" for the Salvation Army.

"It's so important to us that we have that opportunity to get the word out there on behalf of the families that we're serving and the Breakers have just been fantastic to work with and thanks to Crown for organising the whole initiative."

The Salvation Army has already distributed 56,000 food parcels during the year but there is always an increasing need at this time of year, she says.

"This is really kick-starting our Christmas appeal and over the next few weeks the public will be bringing in donations as they always do. The Kiwi public is so generous to us. To be able to give families a special Christmas and alleviate their stress at this time of year is something that's important to us all."

The Salvation Army has been helping fight poverty in New Zealand since 1883. The organisation is entirely dependent on donations, grants and public funding to provide support to more than 120,000 Kiwis in need.

ENDS

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