Central Otago Mayor Tim Cadogan and Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan yesterday announced the campaign. It will take place next Tuesday, one month before the Roxburgh village is scheduled to close.
The mayors said the campaign was ''one last push'' to try to save the Roxburgh village, after its closure was announced on May 15.
''There is still time to fight to keep this service running, which it can do if the Government will provide the $1,500,000 required per year for it to do so,'' they said.
''So, there is to be one last push for the people of the South to let the Government know that its unwillingness to increase funding to keep this unique and crucial service to the children of the South operating is unacceptable ... This is the last chance to not go down without a fight and without letting Wellington know how the people of the South feel about what is being done to this crucial service for our children.''
The Cadogans, who are brothers, said since the closure of the village was announced the public response had been ''palpable''.
''We have been stopped in the street regularly by people describing their shock at the loss and telling us their own stories of family members and friends from their childhood who they considered saved by their time at the village.''
The mayors said they were ''completely sure'' there was no replacement service available for the children who would benefit from the residential trauma rehabilitation service the Roxburgh village provided.
Minister for Children Tracey Martin last week began the first of 14 regional hui, with officials talking to children's services contractors about improved services.
A hui for lower South Island providers, expected to touch on the Roxburgh closure, will be held in Balclutha on Friday.
People south of the Waitaki River are being asked to email this month's Garrick Tremain Otago Daily Times cartoon about the Roxburgh village closure to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern for the ''e-mob'' campaign.
Those taking part are asked to email the cartoon to jacinda.ardern@parliament.govt.nz on May 29, with ''Roxburgh - let's NOT do this'' in the subject line.
They are then being asked to email ''done'' (in the subject line) to roxburghletsnotdothis@gmail.com so a record can be kept of the number of people who have emailed Ms Ardern.
The mayors are asking for only one email to be sent per person.
