12 March 2014
Whittaker’s Firsts for Easter
To mark the first ever Whittaker’s Big Egg Hunt – a supersized Easter egg hunt to raise money for Starship Children’s
Hospital – Whittaker’s is providing a unique 340g 18ct Gold Whittaker’s Slab as a grand prize and producing
Easter-themed Creamy Milk Mini Slabs.
The Easter-themed Creamy Milk Mini Slabs feature a unique Kiwi twist – the top quality chocolate slabs are stamped with
prints of some of New Zealand’s most treasured native wildlife hatching from their eggs.
For the duration of The Whittaker’s Big Egg Hunt, chocolate lovers will also see some Easter-themed changes to the
packaging of the Fairtrade Creamy Milk Block and 50g Peanut Slabs. Buying any one of these products provides the
opportunity to go into the draw to win the Gold Slab, which has been made by Partridge Jewellers.
As part of the partnership with Starship, Whittaker’s is donating at least $150,000 to Starship by donating 10 cents
from every iconic 50g Peanut Slab, 20 cents from every pack of its top selling Fairtrade Creamy Milk block and 20 cents
from its Creamy Milk Easter Mini Slabs sold throughout the hunt.
During The Whittaker’s Big Egg Hunt between 21 March and 22 April, 100 giant eggs decorated by top New Zealand artists
and designers will be hidden across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. As well as the Whittaker’s donation, Starship
will raise funds by auctioning off all 100 giant eggs – each a unique work of art – with 80 of them to go on Trade Me
and the other 20 to be sold at a gala event in April.
Holly Whittaker said that since chocolate is such a big part of celebrating Easter, it was a natural fit for New
Zealand-owned Whittaker’s to come on board as principal sponsor of New Zealand’s first Big Egg Hunt, in support of
Starship.
“We think Whittaker’s chocolate lovers will enjoy knowing that by treating themselves or their loved ones to some
Whittaker’s chocolate during The Whittaker’s Big Egg Hunt they’ll be supporting the national children’s hospital.
“Whittaker’s is a family-owned company that is proud to support worthy causes such as Starship that make such a
difference to New Zealanders’ lives,” said Ms Whittaker.
The first event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, The Whittaker’s Big Egg Hunt follows the Guinness Book of
Records-breaking model that has been hugely successful in the UK and has grown to include Dublin, and this year New York
and New Zealand.
For more Information about the Whittaker’s Big Egg Hunt visit www.thebigegghunt.co.nz.
About Whittaker’s:
• Established in New Zealand over 100 years ago, Whittaker’s is the only major chocolate manufacturer in New
Zealand that ensures quality by controlling the whole manufacturing process – from bean to bar.
• With 100% of its operations in New Zealand, Whittaker’s is proud to be an exporter of quality New Zealand
produce, as well as one of the largest employers in the Wellington region.
• For the past two years in a row, Whittaker’s has been voted New Zealand’s Most Trusted Brand.
About the Starship Foundation:
• Starship is New Zealand’s national children’s hospital. There are nearly 120,000 patient visits to Starship
Children’s Health every year by children from all over New Zealand.
• The Starship Foundation is a charity that raises funds so Starship Children’s Health can better care for its
young patients. The Starship Foundation wants every New Zealand family to have access to world-leading healthcare and
experiences when they need it most.
• The Starship Foundation raises up to $10 million a year. Donations are extra to Government funding and provide
for initiatives such as Starship’s National Air Ambulance Service which brings children from all over New Zealand to
Starship for life-saving care, as well as refurbishing older wards, new technology and medical equipment, vital
research, boosted family support, staff training and community outreach projects to keep children out of hospital.
ENDS