University of Otago students volunteers are preparing more than 10,000 non-perishable lunch packs to be sent to the 2000-strong University of Canterbury Student Volunteer Army this weekend.
The volunteers were working in non-critical outlying areas, clearing silt and lifting bricks for those requiring assistance, and required lunches to "keep them going", University of Otago student Nic Twaddle said.
The Dunedin arm of the student army, with support of the student association, was preparing lunches for its Christchurch counterparts, and was asking for any available individual items or lunch packs of muesli bars, chocolate bars, raisins, crackers in plastic lunch wrap, and tuna cans.
A collection point would be set up at the student union, opposite the Otago Museum, and any contributions would be gratefully received today from 10am to 6pm.
More than 1000 packed lunches were expected to be sent by car today, with the remainder to be freighted north tomorrow morning by Northern Southland Transport, which had donated its services, Mr Twaddle said.
