Generosity rewarded

FRESH Future Appeal winner Niamh Cooper, with her mum Elaine (centre) and siblings Fintan and Sine´ad, shows her $40,000 worth of vouchers presented by appeal chairperson Ruth Krippner and Te Awamutu Woolworths manager Ian Chrystie. TC141008DT01

BY DEAN TAYLOR

When eight-year-old Niamh Cooper was grocery shopping at Te Awamutu Woolworths with her mum Elaine she was happy to make what she thought was a five dollar donation to the Fresh Future Appeal to support children’s health. It came as a huge surprise to find she had purchased a raffle and had won the major prize — $40,000 worth of vouchers — a combination of grocery gift vouchers that can be used at Foodtown/Woolworths/Countdown stores; Shell Petrol vouchers, Flight Centre travel vouchers and Dick Smith gift vouchers.

The prize was presented to Niamh and her family on Friday by store manager Ian Chrystie and appeal chairperson Ruth Krippner.

For Niamh, her nine-year-old brother Fintan and five-year-old sister Sine´ad — all St Patrick’s School students—the prize is very overwhelming. Mum Elaine isn’t sure if the vouchers will be used for anything special, although she is sure there will be plenty of suggestions once it sets in.

Progressive Enterprises showed its commitment to supporting children’s health by running its eight week-long Fresh Future Appeal which raises funds for 10 New Zealand hospitals. Last year, over 18,000 staff, customers and suppliers of Progressive Enterprises’ nearly 150 Foodtown, Woolworths and Countdown stores raised a massive one million dollars to help children in five hospitals. The money went towards paediatric care in dedicated children’s wards in Dunedin, Christchurch, Waikato and Wellington Hospitals, as well as Kidz First Children’s Hospital in Auckland.

The 2008 Fresh Future appeal will support all these hospitals again, plus children’s wards in another five hospitals — in Whangarei, Tauranga, Hawkes Bay, Invercargill and Greymouth. This means kids from right throughout New Zealand will benefit.

Progressive Enterprises managing director, Peter Smith said, ‘‘We’re all keen to support sick kiwi kids who are in hospitals, their families and those wonderful medical professionals who treat them.’’