9 December 2011 - Save the Children New Zealand gives one lucky lottery winner a new car

When Save the Children New Zealand told Christchurch woman Averill Smith that she had the winning raffle ticket for a new Suzuki Swift she couldn’t believe her luck.

“I never win anything so it was totally unexpected and not believable at first. I have supported Save the Children for many years and the buying of raffle tickets is only ever seen as a donation to me,” Mrs Smith said.

As her car is gettting a bit old, Mrs Smith said her new car will be a great help, but that supporting fundraising initiatives for charities had always been her first motivation.

Save the Children New Zealand’s Great Kiwi Lottery sold over 27,000 tickets this year and made a profit of over $40,000 for our work in New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and around the world.

CEO of Save the Children New Zealand Liz Gibbs said this year’s Great Kiwi Lottery had been a great success.

“We’re thrilled with the results of our lottery this year and will be putting all the proceeds to good use,” Ms Gibbs said.

“The money raised will enable us to continue helping children and their families in need – in New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and around the world.”

Save the Children’s Great Kiwi Lottery was launched on 8 October and ran until 19 November. Tickets were sold country-wide by Save the Children New Zealand’s dedicated branches and volunteers, as well as via our website.

This year, Save the Children New Zealand supporters had the chance to win three great prizes:

1st prize was a Suzuki Swift 1.4 GLX with all its nifty gadgets and storage options, on-road costs paid, a full tank of petrol, 3-year/100k warranty & 5 years’ roadside assistance (valued at $23,990);

2nd prize was a luxury break for two in Queenstown, including airfares, 5 nights’ accommodation at a 5 star property, and a tour & adventure activity of your choice (valued at $3,300); and

3rd prize was a hamper of gifts packed with luxury New Zealand-made goods from our Save the Children store. This includes a RHODIA black laptop bag, a Living Lights large candle bowl, Aotearoa cushion, Kowtow T-shirts and more (valued at $1,000).

Save the Children New Zealand is now focused on raising funds for programmes and emergencies ahead of Christmas and the monsoon season.