An appeal asking New Zealanders to donate their old
cellphones has raised $500,000 for Starship Childrens
Hospital since it launched in February.
Andrew Young, CEO of Starship Foundation, was thrilled to
have raised half a million dollars in 10 months, and thanked
the thousands of people who had sent in their old cellphones.
"I should add that there is no end date to the Mobile Phone
Appeal, so if people keep sending us their old mobile phones,
I'm confident we'll hit the $1 million mark before too long."
Starship Foundation's Mobile Phone Appeal is being run in
partnership with Irish recycling company Folamh.
The money will go towards many of the hospital's needs
including lifesaving equipment and vital paediatric research.
There is the added benefit of preventing the old phones from
ending up in landfills and polluting the environment.
Once the phones are donated, they are recorded, graded and
stored before being sent to places such as Hong Kong, China
or Eastern Europe where they are checked, reprogrammed,
repackaged and sold.
Folamh donates 60% of the proceeds from the sale of phones to
Starship.
Mr Young said Folamh took on all of the financial risk and
covered expenses so the proceeds could be spent directly on
what was needed for the children.
"Plus, in these difficult economic times, Starship is pleased
to be offering another way to donate, other than just cash."
The public can give cellphones using freepost appeal
envelopes which are distributed through newspapers nationwide
and are available from any branch of the ASB, The Warehouse,
Warehouse Stationery, Barfoot and Thompson and all Telecom
stores.
Further information is available at www.starship.org.nz/phone, or
by phoning 0800 STARSHIP (0800 7827-7447).
