Representatives from the Heart Foundation are door-knocking across the region to raise awareness of heart health and ask people to donate.
Funds raised will go towards funding research into heart conditions.
Kyle Longakit is one of the organisation’s representatives working in Wairarapa.
“The old ways of fundraising don’t work as well anymore. Collection buckets aren’t as effective because people don’t always carry cash. After covid affected the organisation’s funding, it has needed to use different methods to raise funds,” Longakit said.
“Last year we had to say ‘no’ to about 50 research proposals – any one of which could have been the next big breakthrough.”
Longakit said the current door-to-door appeal is to encourage people to make a regular online donation, instead of the traditional one-off contribution. Regular donations can be any amount, even very small ones.
“It doesn’t matter how small. It’s not about how much is donated, but more about the number of people giving.”
Longakit said the organisation aims to have up to 30,000 regular donors.
Representatives from the organisation will be door-knocking right across New Zealand, with towns in Wairarapa on the radar.
Masterton and Featherston have already been visited, with Martinborough’s turn this week.
The organisation – which funds heart research and also works in local communities – reports more than 170,000 people in New Zealand live with heart disease.
Its strategic aims include stopping people in New Zealand from dying prematurely of heart disease and enabling those with heart disease to live full lives.
People interested in donating, including online, can find more information at secure.heartfoundation.org.nz/donate-now.
