Mayor seeks help with flood appeal

Press, 17 October 1978, Page 1

Mayor seeks help with flood appeal

Service clubs and schools have been asked by the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H. G. Hay) to help with a street appeal on Friday for victims of the OtagoSouthland floods. Mr Hay said yesterday that Friday was free as a day for a street appeal in Christchurch, and coming as it did immediately before a long week-end, it should be a “good day” for a collection. The question was one of finding an organisation to take over the running of such a street appeal, Mr Hay said.

“I see it as a possible project for a service club or perhaps for combined service clubs, possibly with help from the schools,” he said. Meanwhile money is still being taken at the Christchurch City Council offices and the offices of the Municipal Electricity Department, as well as at Radio New Zealand’s Kent House offices in Durham Street. Gifts can also be sent to the City Council at Post Office Box 237, Christchurch. Later yesterday more

than $l6OO had been collected by the Christchurch Citv Council, and a further $4500 plus had been either brought in or pledged to Radio Station 3ZB. Meanwhile, the National Council of Churches has announced that it has given $l5OO from its relief funds specifically to help “seriously disadvantaged families” to “enable them to replace food stocks that have been damaged or destroyed.” As it did for the 1976 Hutt Valley floods, the

Government will subsidise appeal funds dollar for dollar. In Christchurch, the Plunket Society will today hold a special one-day appeal for toys and young children’s clothing to be sent to the flood-stricken areas. Goods given will probably be sent to the Invercargill Plunket Society for distribution to those who need it. Announcing the appeal yesterday, the president of. the Christchurch branch of the Plunket Society (Mrs N. M. Stewart) said that four receiving depots would be open in Christchurch from 10 a.m. today. The depots will be: Christchurch Central Plunket Rooms, 211 Oxford Terrace. Fendalton Plunket Rooms, in Fendalton Park. Woolston Plunket Rooms, opposite the Woolston Post Office. Somerfield Plunket Rooms, 120 Conway Street. Mrs Stewart said that the day had been arranged quickly, because it was felt that the need was for immediate aid. Anybody with further inquiries about the appeal could telephone the main Plunket rooms, at telephone 60-763, Mrs Stewart said. Money raised would almost certainly go to private residents for uninsurable damage—such as damage to sections, paths and fences, slip damage that necessitated the building of crib walls, and similar damage, the Mayor of Lower Hutt (Mr J. Kennedy-Good) told “The Press” yesterday. The Hutt Valley, which benefited from the support of relief appeals held throughout New Zealand at the time of disastrous floods in 1976, is now the scene of numerous fundraising efforts aimed at helping the Otago-South-land victims.