Volunteers needed for the Big Heart Appeal

Next month the Heart Foundation organisation will host its Big Heart Appeal in efforts to raise funds to go towards heart disease research.

Over 6000 New Zealanders die from a heart disease each year with 120 people dying each week.

The appeal’s street collections are taking place on Friday and Saturday, February 21 and 22 across the country including at a number of places in Te Awamutu and Cambridge.

Volunteers running local street collections in Te Awamutu can be found on the days at Fresh Choice, Pak’nSave, The Warehouse, Mitre 10 Mega and on Alexandra St.

In Cambridge the volunteers will be posted up at Countdown, Mitre 10, the Cambridge Farmers Markets and on the corner of Duke and Victoria St.

The organisation is still in need of a number of volunteers across most locations for the appeal and people who want to help can sign up on the website for their preferred location and time.

Heart Foundation’s medical director Gerry Devlin says the funds raised will go towards research to save lives and improve the quality of life for those 180,000 New Zealanders living with a heart disease says

“It’s staggering to think that the number of deaths is the size of the entire population of Matamata in the North Island. By donating to the Big Heart Appeal, people are helping to save the lives of loved ones all across New Zealand,” said Gerry.

■ Visit heartfoundation.org.nz to get involved.