$½M pledged

Press, 15 July 1985, Page 1

$½M pledged

Christchurch people pledged about $550,000 to the Live Aid appeal during the week-end. Volunteers from the six New Zealand welfare agencies which took part in the appeal were kept busy answering 40 telephone lines during the Live Aid concert on television. The telephones were set up in the bar at the Christchurch Town Hall. The Christchurch co-ordi-nator for Live Aid, Mr Peter Yarrell, said the telephone never stopped ringing during the 16 hours of televised concert and highlights.

In the last five hours, the temporary switchboard was constantly overloaded with incoming calls. People were still ringing in pledges 45 minutes after the appeal had officially ended, he said. The Christchurch total,

taken just before 4 p.m., which contributed to the national total of more than $4 million, was $489,873. The figure was made up of $157,265 in one-off pledges, and 2307 pledges of $l2 a month for a year. By 4.30 p.m. the total had risen to $542,600. Mr Yarrell said he expected the final total for Christchurch to reach $550,000 with up to 2700 people expected to pledged $l2 a month for a year. Pledges of $lOOO were common and several people had pledged $2OOO, he said. Mr Yarrell did not want to compare the appeal with the recent Telethon but he did say that it was significant that so much money had been raised without the possibility of an acknowledgement on television. “The money was given solely for people in the

world who are dying,” he said.

People who had pledged money to the appeal would be sent a letter giving details of how to send the money.

The money would go towards re-establishing farm land and agriculture in the drought-stricken countries of Africa, as well as for more immediate aid.

Money given in New Zealand would be divided among the six agencies and channelled through their “own people on the ground” rather than to Governments, Mr Yarrell said. The New Zealand agencies taking part in the appeal. are World Vision, Save the Children Fund, Red Cross, Corso, Christian World Service (N.C.C.), and the Catholic Commission for Education, Justice, Development and Overseas Aid.