MAYOR Celia Wade-Brown says there’s been an overwhelming local response to the Christchurch earthquake and she’s pleased and proud to see how Wellingtonians have generously offered their support.
The Mayor herself met a builder from the UK at the Wellington City Council Service Center on the weekend who had been unable to change his clothes since last Tuesday. She gave him a ride to the British High Comission, buying him a merino t-shirt on the way.
On Wednesday 23, the Wellington City Council asked for submissions from those with a bed to offer temporary refugees. The Council had to cancel that request on the same day, when phone lines were flooded with more than 1000 calls.
When TV3 incorrectly reported that NZ Blood was urgently seeking donations, the results were instantaneous.
“The phones went crazy. We answered as many calls as we could, directing people to the website to make an appointment for either the next couple of days or the next week. The phones were ringing for two or three days after that we took names so we could get back to people,” says Alastair Neill, central region area manager for NZ Blood.
McNeill says while NZ Blood doesn’t require urgent blood donations, appointments for donations in the near future are welcomed.
“We’d really like to thank the people of Wellington, the response has been absolutely fantastic. It’s a real ‘Kiwi’ response and it’s been so heartwarming to see,” he says.
NZ Blood in Wellington collects from an average of 305 people per week, but last week collected from 396.
Wellington promoter Jamie Templeton is bringing television host, international speaker and adventurer Bear Grylls to New Zealand for two talks, one in Auckland and one in Wellington. Proceeds were originally going to be donated to the Pike River mine relief fund.
“Then the earthquake hit and the chairman of the Pike River relief fund asked if we would re-pledge the money to Christchurch. Due to the scale of the devastation we wanted to contribute as much as we could,” says Templeton.
Musician Tiki Taane and comedian Cori Gonzalez-Macuer will perform at the Wellington event, March 3 at the Michael Fowler Center. All event proceeds go to both the earthquake relief fund and the Wellington Children’s hospital.