A southland woman's efforts to raise money for Victoria's bushfire victims have resulted in more than $20,000 being contributed.
Sonia Buckingham, of Invercargill, who lived on Australia's Gold Coast for six years, hatched the idea after her children watched television coverage of the bushfires.
She approached schools in the province about holding fund-raising events.
Within days, the first cheques arrived in the mail.
In an email yesterday, Ms Buckingham said the amount now collected was $20,145.
"This is way beyond anything I could imagine."
She said she was overwhelmed that more than 55 schools had contributed.
The total was expected to increase, as some schools were still to hold fundraising events, she said.
