31 January 2011

Stock up on juice and dust off that book of non-alcoholic cocktail recipes… New Zealand’s first ever FebFast is just hours away.

Hundreds of people around the country have signed up to the Drug Foundation’s FebFast fundraiser, which starts tomorrow and runs until the end of February.

They'll give up drinking alcohol for the month to raise money for some of New Zealand’s top youth charities and to help their bodies and wallets recover after the festive season.

Coordinator Catherine Milburn says she’s delighted with the response to FebFast.

“It’s been a big success in Australia so it’s great to see we’re as community-minded as our cousins across the Tasman,” she says.

“The thing with FebFast is that it’s not about giving up drinking forever. It’s about raising some much-needed funds for community organisations and taking a moment in our own busy lives to take care of our bodies and reflect on what we want for the coming year.”

And if you haven't signed up yet, there’s still time.

“People can sign up right through February,” says Ms Milburn. “You can also sponsor people or make donations right through to the end of March.

“The other thing to remember is that if you've got a big event on in February that you know you'll want to drink at, you can buy a timeout for $25. We understand that special occasions crop up – weddings, birthdays, the Sevens – so buying a timeout lets you enjoy the occasion while still contributing to the FebFast fundraising.”

FebFast has proven popular in Australia, raising more than $1.7 million in the past few years, but it is the first time the fundraiser has been undertaken in New Zealand.

A number of well-known New Zealanders are endorsing the event, including MPs Jackie Blue and Iain Lees-Galloway, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker, chef/food writer Jo Seagar, actor/writer Pinky Agnew, singer Maisey Rika, TV3 journalists Mike McRoberts and Paula Penfold, social media editor Greer McDonald, and The Edge radio hosts Jay-Jay Feeney and Dominic Harvey.

The money raised will go to youth charities Amplify (Auckland), He Taumata Toa/Growing Champions (Wellington), He Haerenga O Wananga/Adventure Therapy (Christchurch), and Whakaata Tohu Tohu /Mirror Counselling Services (Dunedin).

Visit www.febfast.org.nz for more information about how to register, who the ambassadors are and where the money raised will be going.

FebFast is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/FebFast-New-Zealand/169814249695781 and onTwitter at http://twitter.com/FebFastNZ.

ENDS

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