Rise Up Christchurch Telethon raises more than $2.5m

THANK YOU NEW ZEALAND!

Rise Up Christchurch Telethon raises more than $2.5m

The faces said it all. The smiles of gratitude beaming back at us from our TV sets and our PCs last night heralded another magic moment in New Zealand life.

Across the country, Kiwis dug deep for the Rise Up Christchurch - Te Kotahitanga Telethon, giving Christchurch a much-needed lift as the Garden City remembered the devastating earthquake of three months ago. Cheers rang out from the CBS Arena in Christchurch when a final total of $2,561,015 was revealed by Mayor Bob Parker at the conclusion of the event.

"Thank you New Zealand. Thank you Kiwis wherever you are. Thank you two-and-a-half million times. You're a great bunch," says Rise Up spokesman Brooke Howard-Smith.

The Rise Up website - www.riseup.org.nz - will remain operational for a number of days. This is to handle donations that are still coming in from people around New Zealand and the world who have responded to the great spirit of giving generated by Rise Up Christchurch.

The 12-hour telethon, broadcast on Maori Television and supported by Fonterra, saw people from all over New Zealand and the world attending Rise Up events, donating by phone, by text and by web, or bidding on items online at Sella.co.nz.

The Sella.co.nz Rise Up auction saw items attract thousands of bids. A Manchester United package, including a meeting with Sir Alex Ferguson, sold for $9,610, a pair of Lady Gaga's Gucci heels went for $4,300, a signed guitar from Katy Perry secured $5,000 and pop star Usher's trainers reached $925.

Guests at a Rise Up Christchurch dinner at SkyCity also bid up large in a silent auction for a range of items including a guitar signed by the Foo Fighters, which went for $15,000. The event raised a total of $134,000 from pledges, the auction and ticket sales.

Substantial donations also came from many corporates, including Mainfreight and McDonald's, with the largest contribution coming from Rise Up sponsor Fonterra.

In addition to contributing $500,000 to cover the telethon's production costs (ensuring all monies raised go directly to the Government's Christchurch Earthquake Appeal), Fonterra also donated a further sum of $1 million in the closing minutes of the broadcast.

Further support for the production was received by Te Mangai Paho and Te Puni Kokiri.

THANK YOU NEW ZEALAND!

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