A donation to count on

Every year a group of staff at Countdown Okara, in Whanga¯rei, use money from their own pockets to buy items for the annual batons up competition that they organise as part of the Countdown Kids Hospital appeal.

They know from experience that it works, and provides a large chunk of the final proceeds that are donated to the Northland DHB, but this year they excelled themselves, hitting their target well before the three-month appeal ended, and having to source raffle books from other stores to keep up with demand.

Nationwide, communities throughout New Zealand supported Countdown’s effort to the tune of $1.2 million. Northland raised $81,000, staff from Countdown Okara presenting the cheque with the help of store, with Whaiawa Tito, the face of this year’s appeal in Northland, and her wha¯nau.

Whaiawa has Type 1 diabetes, her parents, Lisa and Patrick Tito, paying for a blood sugar sensor to monitor and control her condition. The $81,000 will go towards buying sensors to lend to parents who can’t afford them.

The sensors give parents and children a break from the daily finger pricks required to monitor insulin levels, and enable them to undergo a period of intensive sugar monitoring to try to improve their diabetes control.

Northland DHB chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain said it was amazing to have received almost $800,000 from the appeal over the last 11 years.

“I’m blown away; they’ve delivered more than we expected,” he said.

“When you walk around our hospitals you see the equipment this money has enabled us to purchase that we couldn’t fund. It is a great partnership.”