Christmas Appeal: Rotorua Hospital donates hundreds of teddy bears to Salvation Army

Rotorua Salvation Army staff and volunteers at the Mamaku can drive. Photo / Supplied

“A whole lot” of teddy bears worth almost $3000 are heading into the arms of Rotorua children this Christmas.

Rotorua Hospital donated 200 of the soft toys to the Salvation Army as part of the annual Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal for the Rotorua Salvation Army Foodbank.

The appeal launched on November 15 and runs for six weeks, with backing from The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM.

Rotorua Salvation Army community ministries wellbeing team leader Sally Wilson said the teddy bears were valued at $2840 and helped contribute to a strong second and third week for the appeal.

As of Monday, the appeal’s week two and three donations brought the foodbank total to $45,326.

This was made of $26,046 food donations, $16,200 in cash and vouchers, and $3080 in gifts.

Fill the Bus made a large contribution to the appeal last week.

A total of 7436 food and gift items were loaded onto the bus. The single-day haul collected $22,308 worth of items, valued at an average of $3 each by the foodbank.

A CityRide bus, donated by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, stopped at supermarkets, shopping centres and workplaces, collecting donations from members of the public alongside large hauls gathered through organised school and business drives.

It was Fill the Bus‘s 11th year on the road.

The Fill the Bus team was at the Rotorua Christmas Parade on November 29 collecting food donations. Wilson described the atmosphere at the parade as “amazing” and said the exposure had led to encouraging interactions.

The Mamaku can drive a day after was another example of the community’s generosity in week two, she said, even as many families faced financial pressure.

Wilson said many people were apologising because they could not give much this year.

“A can is a can”, Wilson told them, as whatever people could give was something that would help the community.

Last Monday, the Rotorua Salvation Army officially opened its doors for its Christmas support programme, to people already lining up outside.

“It’s pretty full-on,” Wilson said.

As part of its Christmas operation, the Salvation Army has adjusted points and limits within its choice-model supermarket to give families greater access during the festive period and create “more of a Christmassy feel”.

Wilson said food and gift donations received over Christmas were added to the supermarket stock, allowing families to choose festive treats alongside essential items.

Annabel Reid is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post, based in Rotorua. Originally from Hawke’s Bay, she has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canterbury.