Emilie Johns and actress Amanda Billing wearing the Kagi for Kids friendship bracelets.
Press Release
Monday 15th April, 2013
‘Kagi for Kids’ to Support the Child Cancer Foundation
Turquoise has long been a symbol of friendship, strength and protection, so it is fitting that a new campaign is using
the magic of these stones to support children living with cancer.
Jewellery entrepreneur Kat Gee of Kagi has created a unique turquoise friendship bracelet in partnership with the Child
Cancer Foundation (CCF) for its latest campaign - Kagi for Kids – to go on sale in May. The campaign hopes to raise
awareness and money for the foundation's work supporting children and families affected by cancer. For each bracelet
sold at $69, $10 will go directly to CCF.
Actress Amanda Billing ambassador for CCF, has generously volunteered to front this campaign, also featuring two of
CCF’s young ambassadors - Lulu Hughes and Emilie Johns. Lulu was diagnosed with nueroblastoma in June 2011 and completed
treatment in March 2012. Emilie was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in July 2012, and is now on maintenance
treatment. It has been a tough journey for these two little girls, yet both are excited to be involved with the
campaign.
Best known for her role as Dr. Sarah Potts on Shortland Street, Amanda approached the foundation in 2011 seeking to use
her profile and creative skills to help children with cancer. Billing says that she greatly values the work of CCF and
she feels privileged to have met the many children she has worked with in her support of the charity.
“Three children are diagnosed per week with child cancer in New Zealand and collectively undergo 100,000 treatments and
procedures each year. However, it is really comforting to know, four in five children survive child cancer,” said
Billing.
“CCF does such valuable work supporting these brave children and their families during treatment and separation from
family support networks. They help with everything from loss of income to simply providing an experienced and
sympathetic ear.” she said.
The Kagi for Kids friendship bracelets are a way that the public can show their support for CCF and the children and
families in need. Just 1,000 of the bracelets will be available in May through selected retailers nationwide or through
the Kagi online store (http://www.kagijewellery.com).
Kagi designer Kat Gee is excited about the partnership. “Kagi for Kids is about fashion with a heart and supporting a
very worthy cause. We are proud of our long-standing partnership with CCF and look forward to helping them throughout
the campaign.”
(ends)
Advertisement: Lulu Hughes and actress Amanda Billing wearing the Kagi for Kids friendship bracelets. CCF_Kagi_for_Kids.pdf
About the Child Cancer Foundation
Child Cancer Foundation services aim to reduce the impact and isolation of cancer by offering services to children and
their families:
•Support (through practical , financial and emotional support programmes e.g. Beads of Courage)
•Inform (provide relevant information and improve families access to information and networks)
•Care (through linking families)
Outcomes:
To reduce the stress and isolation families can experience on the child cancer journey.
Results:
•Improving child cancer outcomes
•Resilient families (increased coping strategies)
Snapshot of the past 12 months:
•Three children are diagnosed per week with child cancer
•Children with cancer collectively undergo 100,000 treatments and procedures each year
•The Family Support team supported more than a 1000 families
•Over 300 children were in-treatment
•185 were new referrals
•The two major cancers seen were ALL (Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia) and brain tumours.
•Four in five children survive child cancer.
•60% of families travelled out of their local region for medical treatment
•Primary issues from this group were separation from family support networks, loss of income and financial strain
About Amanda Billing:
Amanda Billing is best known for her role as Dr Sarah Potts on TVNZ’s Shortland Street. Amanda approached the Child
Cancer Foundation in 2011 because she wanted to use her artistic talents to help children with cancer. Maia, as he is
now known, was covered in Child Cancer Foundation Beads of Courage.® Amanda has given selflessly of her time and
artistic talents and been a wonderful friend to the young people she has met. She was, along with Megan Alatini the
ambassador for One Day for Child Cancer launched in 2012, manages the kids’ section in Sharing Magazine and helps out at
any event she can.
Child Representatives:
Emilie Johns is a Child Cancer Foundation child ambassador for 2013. Four year-old Emilie lives in Point Wells, near
Auckland. She was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in July, 2012. The first phase of Emilie’s treatment
affected her leg movement and she could only walk with her parents taking full support under both armpits. She is now
able to walk unaided. She still walks on the tips of her toes, which can be a side effect of treatment and her legs
“give way” sometimes, but her parents know she is having a good day when she turns her music up loud, puts on her
Rapunzel wig and rocks out some moves! Emilie is now on maintenance treatment.
Lucia Hughes, (known as Lulu), is four and lives in Whangaparaoa. She was diagnosed with Nueroblastoma in June 2011 and
completed treatment in March 2012. Lulu received chemotherapy and two major surgeries to remove the majority of the
tumour around her tummy. As a result of nerve damage, Lulu was left with some on-going difficulties, but she is full of
energy and fun. She loves dancing, has an amazing sense of humour, a crazy imagination, and would spend all her days
swimming if she could.
About Kat Gee and Kagi:
Kagi (pronounced car-gee, gee as in Gee-whiz) began in 2006 from Kat Gee’s desire to create designer jewellery that was
both bold and simple, using both real gemstones and real pearls. Kagi creates designer jewellery with a difference.
Kat, a previous New Zealand Design Ambassador has always had a passion for jewellery and design. From the young age of
eight selling Fimo pendants at school to playing dress-ups in her Grandmother’s bead drawers, a career in jewellery
seemed almost inevitable and Kagi is now stocked in top retail stores across Australasia.
Kat has been acknowledged for her efforts by becoming a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2012, and the Deloitte Fast 50.