For immediate release

Finalists in Prime Minister’s Social Heroes Awards giving more as times get tough

AUCKLAND, 17 JULY, 2009: The Robin Hood Foundation announced today the finalists in this year’s Prime Ministers Social Heroes Awards, and noted that as times have got tougher New Zealanders are stepping up to the mark to give even more.

The finalists represent a very strong line up of business and charity partnerships that range right across social and business groups.

These include farmers raising and selling calves to do raise funds for local IHC families, a business trust that is now New Zealand’s second largest dedicated funder of cancer research, a partnership that has seen nearly a million dollars invested in breakfasts in schools, food companies delivering their freshest produce to food banks, a drink/driving coaching program that talks to over 20,000 high risk teenagers and a unique industry collaboration that is highly competitive in the marketplace but very collaborative in its social cause .

And all of them ignoring the recession.

“It seems that when things are tough…people just give more,” said Sharon Hunter Robin Hood Chair.

This year’s awards finalists are:

Fonterra & Sanitarium and KickStart Breakfast

Kimberley Clark and NZ Plunket

Telecom and IHC

Heinz Watties and NZ Plunket

PGG Wrightson and The IHC Calf Scheme

Goodman Fielder and Daily Bread

Fairfax Media and Fairfax First Books

McDonalds NZ and Ronald McDonald House

Genesis Energy and the Genesis Oncology Trust

Number 1 Shoes and KidsCan

Frucor and World Vision

Sovereign and Sovereign Sunshine

The Cosmetics & Toiletries Manufacturers Assoc and Look Good Feel Better

AA Driver Education Foundation and SADD

This year’s awards feature the highest number of long term partnerships acknowledged to date - with six of the finalists having stood by their respective causes for between 10 and 25 years

The awards continue to be sponsored annually by both Fairfax Media and RadioWorks Media and will be presented by the Prime Minister John Key on July 24th at St Mathews in the City Auckland

ENDS

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