Online charity auction aims to be one of NZ's biggest

Media Release
Date 22.2.2011

Online charity auction aims to be one of New Zealand’s biggest

One of the biggest and cutest online charity auctions seen ever in New Zealand is launching on February 22 – with some 800 items up for sale.

The auction – entitled Every Dog Has Its Day - will raise money for the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind’s (RNZFB) Guide Dog Services, and has been organised by leading real estate agency Bayleys.

Bayleys is the principal sponsor of the RNZFB’s Guide Dog Services. The massive online auction kicks off on the on-line auction website sella.co.nz during the early hours of February 22

Among the hundreds of items being posted on the Every Dog Has Its Day auction are domestic holiday and leisure packages, sporting goods and memorabilia, electrical and household appliances, jewelry, artworks, fashion clothing and apparel, food and beverage vouchers, the chance to meet famous New Zealand celebrities, entertainment and leisure attraction passes, as well as a number of items normally unable to be bought in the public domain.

Many of the items to be listed will have a $1 reserve – making the entire auction catalogue affordable to everyone. As well as items that can be used anywhere in New Zealand, there are hundreds of ‘local’ products, goods and services – sourced from the Far North to Invercargill – to ensure the auction has a truly national flavour.

Among some of the more high profile items up for bidding are:
- A lunch date with All Black captain Richie McCaw
- Private training sessions with All White Aaron Clapham or the Breakers basketball team
- An afternoon with Kiwi supermodel Rachel Hunter
- A soccer ball signed by Rod Stewart and a cricket bat signed by the Black Caps
- Vasectomies
- A night for two at one of New Zealand’s most expensive luxury lodges, Eagles Nest in the Bay of Islands.

Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind chief executive Sandra Budd says the auction will be a wonderful opportunity to raise essential funds for the Guide Dog Services programme through the expected tens of thousands of bids.

“Thanks to the incredible work of Bayleys staff and the generosity of individuals, businesses and organisations throughout the country for donating items, the auction is shaping up to be an exciting event – with many great bargains and sought after items on offer,” says Ms Budd.

Bayleys managing director Mike Bayley said Bayleys staff had been working tirelessly on the ambitious fundraising campaign for the past four months – motivated by the desire to support Guide Dog Services and simultaneously be part of one of the biggest and cutest on-line auction ever coordinated in New Zealand.

“We founded the execution of this project on the adage that if a job’s worth doing then it’s worth doing well… in all respects,” Mike Bayley said.

“And with such an outstanding cause to benefit from the proceeds, it was easy to motivate not only our staff, but also to persuade hundreds of small businesses and individuals throughout New Zealand to contribute a huge array of auction items.

“On that note, I’d like to publicly thank all those companies and individuals who supplied their goods and services for fellow New Zealanders to bid on. Without their generosity and support, this whole fantastic exercise would not have been possible.

“I can proudly state that the auction catalogue contains something for everyone. We specifically designed the auction to appeal for every taste and wallet – so there are hundreds of very affordable items, right through to items worth several thousand dollars,” Mike Bayley added.

Bayleys has been the principal sponsor of the RNZFB’s Guide Dog Services since 2004 – generating $2million for the organisation already. This funding has been used to raise and train some 85 puppies.

The Every Dog Has Its Day auction launches on sella.co.nz on February 22 and runs through until March 8.

Caption: Bayleys managing director Mike Bayley and two Guide Dog Services guide dogs display some of the fabulous items which will be up for bidding on the Every Dog Has Its Day auction.

Interesting puppy facts
• RNZFB puppies are identified by their bright red coats. The RNZFB aims to graduate some 40 guide dogs each year.
• It takes about two years to train a guide dog, including puppy walking.
• The RNZFB receives no government funding for Guide Dog Services.
• There are around 240 guide dog teams in New Zealand.
• About 40 people are currently waiting for a guide dog.
• The average time spent waiting for a guide dog is 6-12 months, but it can take longer if people have particular needs.
• The average working life of a guide dog is 8-10 years.
• Guide Dog Services was established in South Auckland in 1973.

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