Air NZ Charity Auction

Last year, the Leukaemia & Blood Foundation (LBF) was selected by Air New Zealand as a charity recipient of the Air New Zealand 2009 Kids at Christmas Charity Auction to benefit New Zealand children.

The Air New Zealand 2009 Kids at Christmas Charity Auction raised an amazing $407,000 to benefit three charities: the Make a Wish Foundation, Kids Restore New Zealand and the LBF.

The LBF is extremely grateful to Air New Zealand for selecting us. The LBF received $100,000 towards supporting children with blood cancers and conditions. The funds are being used to support our children and adolescent work. Our first projects are to produce several New Zealand-first resources specifically targeted for children and adolescents diagnosed with leukaemia and lymphoma.

The 2009 charity auction, conducted on the Sella online auction site, boasted some great prizes which were organised by a dedicated and energetic Air New Zealand team who organise the event each year. There were over 130 items in the auction including a flight to New York to share breakfast with former Prime Minister Helen Clark and two month's unlimited Business Class travel, plus much more.

The event also included a range of sit-on wooden planes which were exclusively painted by a range of Kiwi celebrities and designers including, Phil Keoghan (presenter of the Amazing Race), Huffer, Trelise Cooper, Ruud Kleinpaste and other well known New Zealanders.
 
In addition, the LBF’s aeroplane, painted by Ethan and Oscar Rae, who were supported by LBF during their treatment for a rare blood condition and are now fit and well more than two years later.

The 2009 event was Air New Zealand’s fourth Kids at Christmas Charity Auction with over $1 million being raised for the children’s' charities over the past three years.

The LBF is also thankful to the New Zealand Art Guild, Holden New Zealand and the Auckland Airport Fire Brigade for donating prizes to the Air New Zealand Kids at Christmas Charity Auction on behalf of the LBF.

Several New Zealand Art Guild members including painters, photographers and jewellery makers donated work or courses to help make the auction a success. We truly hope that the artists enjoyed the auction.

Holden New Zealand donated a limited edition HSV 20th Anniversary Card Collection which included a certificate of authenticity. The collection was one of only 5,000 produced. The Auckland Airport Fire Brigade donated “spend a day with a fire brigade” which one lucky winner won for his birthday.