Meet our Better Breathing Heroes!

Wow – what a September! The Foundation was blown away with our recent appeal month ‘Breathe Better September’ - the most successful to date. This year more than 60 Better Breathing Heroes set themselves a ‘Better Breathing Challenge’ and raised funds and awareness to support the 700,000 Kiwis who live with a respiratory condition. From this, our Heroes raised more than $23,000 for the Foundation, while increasing awareness about the seriousness and prevalence of asthma and other respiratory disease in New Zealand. To everyone that participated, donated, or cheered from the sidelines – thank you so much!

We would like to extend a special mention to one of our Heroes, Lisa MacKay, a qualified chef from Morrinsville, who raised over $7,000 throughout the month, with activities including, raffling off baked goods, exercise challenges, and a charity auction with items donated from local businesses.

Breathe Better September is a campaign close to Lisa’s heart, having lived with asthma since she was a child, and losing a close friend to the disease. What started out as a $500 donation from Lisa herself, became so much bigger than Lisa imagined, with her generous family, friends, and Waikato business community rallying together to support the initiative. Lisa hopes that by sharing her story, that others can be encouraged to get out and raise awareness as well.

The team here at the Foundation also joined our Heroes this month and set an ambitious Better Breathing Challenge of rowing 700 kilometres for the 700,000 Kiwis living with respiratory disease in New Zealand. We realised very quickly that we would need some support, so we called on New Zealanders to ‘donate their kilometres’ to help us reach our goal. Thankfully we had many supporters send in their kilometres and we’re pleased to say that we exceeded the target!

New Zealand businesses also got involved in the initiative this year with Friends of the Foundation sponsorship partner eHaus getting their entire team on-board, raising $3,500 during the month – an outstanding effort! Additionally Harvey Norman NZ, a long-time supporter of Breathe Better September, once again auctioned a new bed with all proceeds going to the Foundation. The King Koil Chiro Advance Queen Bed fetched $3,000 on Trademe – thanks Harvey Norman!

We would also like to send a massive thanks to all of our generous sponsors who supported the campaign through donating goods and services: F45 North Wellington, Dyson, Essano, Ecostore, Beauty Bliss, Tea Pea, Redcurrrent, Henrietta Soaps, New World, Whittaker’s, Farrah’s, ZLand, My Food Bag, Fullair, Daily Good, Swarovski, and Bambini.

Lastly, the Foundation received a record 64 entries for the annual Te Hā Ora art competition. The Foundation was so impressed by all of the entries which now take pride of place on the wall of the office for everyone visiting the Foundation to see. A massive congratulations to Macée Eva Blair, Yet Long Leung, and Taneora Pihima-Brown who were the winners of each age category, winning a brand new scooter kindly donated by Micro Scooters!

Below: 9-13 years winning art entry by Taneora Pihima-Brown; under 5s winning art entry by Macée Eva Blair; 6-8 years winning art entry by Yet Long Leung; and Lisa Mackay presenting the Foundation with a cheque of her fundraising efforts towards Breathe Better September.