Commonwealth Games team to carry Kiwis’ messages

NZ Commonwealth Games team to carry Kiwis’ messages to Delhi

Auckland, 13 July 2010 – New Zealanders will be able to get up close and personal with our Commonwealth Games team through a unique initiative that sees Kiwis’ messages of support literally carried to the Games by our athletes.

Launching this month, the Cadbury Billboards To Bags campaign will allow Kiwis across New Zealand to write their messages of support for the 2010 Commonwealth Games team on giant billboards that will tour the country. The billboards will then be recycled into one-of-a-kind satchels for each athlete to carry with them in Delhi.

If Kiwis can’t make it to one of the tour locations, a ground-breaking ‘virtual billboard’ will be hosted at www.cadburygames.co.nz from 2 August, to ensure every New Zealander has an opportunity to personally sign their message for the team.

After being displayed for Kiwis to see throughout August, the signed billboard canvases will be transformed into satchels by Kiwi bag company Was.co.nz (which specialises in recycling billboards into durable, eco-friendly bags), and given to every member of the New Zealand Commonwealth team in Delhi in October.

Cadbury New Zealand Managing Director, Matthew Oldham, says, “We know the whole of New Zealand will be behind our athletes as they do us proud in Delhi, so we wanted to give New Zealanders an opportunity to share their thoughts in a really tangible way.

“The Billboards To Bags campaign means our athletes will literally be carrying the hopes of a nation with them to the Games on their shoulders. It’s something we hope will stay with them long after the Closing Ceremony.”

Terry Daly, Commercial Director of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, says, “Kiwis’ support is so important to athletes when they’re competing overseas, so we’re extremely excited about the initiatives Cadbury is undertaking to get all of New Zealand behind the team.”

Cadbury is the Official Fundraiser for the New Zealand 2010 Commonwealth Games team. The Billboards To Bags campaign debuted at this week’s Dunedin Chocolate Carnival and will feature at the Cadbury Moro Fun Run this Saturday. The nationwide roadshow kicks off on Wednesday 21 July with a star-studded launch event at 1 Queen St, Auckland.

Saturday 17 July Dunedin Chocolate Carnival
Wednesday 21 July ROADSHOW LAUNCH, 1 Queen St, Auckland
Whangarei and Nelson
Thursday 22 July Auckland and Blenheim
Friday 23 July Hamilton and Kaikoura
Saturday 24 July Tauranga and Christchurch
Sunday 25 July Rotorua and Christchurch
Monday 26 July Napier and Timaru
Tuesday 27 July Palmerston North and Oamaru
Wednesday 28 July Wellington and Dunedin
Thursday 29 July Wanganui and Balclutha
Friday 30 July New Plymouth and Invercargill

For more details on Billboards To Bags or to sign the virtual billboard (from 2 August), see www.cadburygames.co.nz

Cadbury Chocolate Grants
Kiwis have also been showing their support for the 10 athletes and teams selected by the New Zealand Olympic Committee and Cadbury, the Official Fundraiser for the New Zealand 2010 Commonwealth Games team, to receive Cadbury Chocolate Grants, each consisting of fundraising chocolate worth $20,000.

Many of the Cadbury Chocolate Grants athletes will be joining the nationwide Billboards To Bags tour at various locations, and Cadbury will also be selling fundraising chocolate on their behalf throughout, with 100% of proceeds going to the athletes.

Matthew Oldham says, “We’ve been immensely proud of the difference the Cadbury Chocolate Grants are helping to make for our athletes’ Games preparations, many of whom have already been selected for the 2010 team. We’ll be right beside these guys all the way to Delhi and beyond.”

About the Grants
Cadbury and the New Zealand Commonwealth Games Federation invited all athletes on the Commonwealth Games long list to apply for a Cadbury Chocolate Grant consisting of fundraising chocolate with an RRP of $20,000.
The 10 Cadbury Chocolate Grants recipients were chosen because they not only embody the values and principles of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games Federation and Cadbury New Zealand, but because of the real difference the Grant will make to their Games preparation and their sporting career.
Cadbury has supported the 10 Cadbury Chocolate Grant athletes with fundraising tips and advice on how to garner support from their local community and, with the assistance of New Zealand Olympic Committee partners Harvey World Travel and United Travel, has undertaken to sell 50% of the chocolate on behalf of all 10 athletes. Cadbury is also offering all Commonwealth athletes and clubs access to its advice and support to assist with their fundraising efforts.

The 10 athletes/teams who have received a 2010 Cadbury Chocolate Grant are:
• Rebecca Wardell, Athletics, Heptathlon
• Joseph Parker, Boxing; Stas Chalaev, Weightlifting
• The ‘Tri Star Lads’ – Matthew Palmer, Mark Holyoake, Patrick Peng, David Bishop, Brandon Field – Artistic Gymnastics
• Kirstin & Caitlin Anderson, Synchronised Swimming
• Melissa Ingram, Swimming
• Elizabeth Lamb, Athletics, High Jump
• Donna Haliday, Badminton
• New Zealand Table Tennis Women’s Team, Karen Li, Sun Yang, Jenny Hung, Annie Yang, Michelle McCarthy, Sarah Her-lee (coach Li Chunli)
• Shane Archbold, Cycling

For full bios on the Cadbury Chocolate Grants recipients, see www.cadburygames.co.nz

ENDS

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