NZ Media auction raises $330,000

For Immediate Release

NZ Media auction raises $330,000

Auckland July 1st, 2005 – New Zealand’s media proved they are serious about standing up for social issues last night by donating a record $330 to work helping some of society’s most needy, Jude Mannion, CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, said last night.

The money was raised at a special advertising space auction at St Mathew-in-the-city where buyers bid for column inches in newspapers and television and radio airtime donated to Robin Hood by some the country’s media leaders

Now recognised as the country’s largest charity auction, Robinhood Foundation’s Annual Media Auction was celebrating its third year in operation last night.

The money donated will go to the Foundation to support its work which encourages businesses to engage with charities in highly innovative ways.

The Foundation currently plays a key role in the delivery of $6 million plus in donations and services to charities working in areas as diverse as illiteracy, foodbanks ,health initiatives, abuse prevention, leukemia, early learning, counseling, third world aid, and technology advancements for the blind to name a few.

Launching soon will be a significant partnership between Vodafone and AUT which will see a skills exchange volunteering website that will have the capacity to place over two thousand employees as volunteers into the charity sector .

“The country’s media should be proud. This is an extraordinary level of support that will be used to continue building successful partnerships between businesses and agencies tackling real problems of social need, “Jude Mannion said.

“If asked what industry leads the business community in social giving you’d struggle to find any better example of a group of market leaders that joins together in a collaborative effort and gives as generously as the media,” she said.

The highest donors in each media sector were Fairfax New Zealand who donated $125,000 worth of space, which was bought by The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind More , MORE FM, donating $100,000 – which was bought by Auckland University of Technology and Prime Television who donated $50,000 bought by Planet Fun,and outdoor Adshel bus shelters 35k bought by Nokia .

Syd Vicious returned from the grave to storm through the church singing “I did it my way” .to open the night …and swaggered out leaving a smashed guiter in his wake, the band Duchess performed , One Million Dollars provided the big band sound, and young singers Katrina Leefe and Hamish Polson also performed

ENDS

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