Stars make big splash for charity

Dean Kent (left), Hannah McLean (centre) and Jonah Lomu during the launch for the World Swim for Malaria campaign. Picture / Andrew Cornaga

Swimming stars Dean Kent and Hannah McLean and former All Black Jonah Lomu took the plunge yesterday to launch the World Swim for Malaria.

New Zealanders will be among hundreds of thousands of people making a splash in December to raise money for the fight against malaria, which kills more children worldwide - one every 30 seconds - than any other disease.

Yet malaria is preventable and treatable.

Organisers hope it will be the biggest swimming event in the world, with up to 1 million people diving into pools on December 3.

Speaking at the Millennium Institute on Auckland's North Shore, Lomu said he hoped 10,000 New Zealanders would take part and raise money to buy mosquito nets.