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 [1], or by phoning 0800 STARSHIP (0800 7827-7447).
Links:
[1] http://www.starship.org.nz/phone