New Pasifika partnership to benefit charity

15 October 2012

New Pasifika partnership to benefit charity

The Make a Wish Foundation will be the beneficiary of a new partnership between Pasifika Festival organisers Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and Suburban Newspapers, part of the Fairfax Media Mighty A Network.

ATEED announced today that Suburban Newspapers Ltd has joined Pasifika Festival as the event’s print media partner.

ATEED Acting General Manager Destination Jennah Wootten says one of the festival’s objectives is to engage all Aucklanders and Suburban Newspapers will help achieve that objective.

“We are looking forward to working with Suburban Newspapers to help grow the Pasifika Festival and we believe they are a great fit for the event,” Ms Wootten says.

The festival and the Mad Butcher and Suburban Newspapers Community Trust will join forces to fundraise for the Make a Wish Foundation, which provides unique opportunities for disadvantaged Pacific Island people.

The charity aims to grant the wishes of Pacific Island-based children who have life-threatening illnesses.

"Many of these Pacific Island children have strong family links back here in New Zealand and are as much a part of our community as the locally based youngsters who also stand to benefit from our efforts this year," Suburban Newspapers General Manager and trust chairman David Penny says.

"We are all Pacific people at the end of the day and united we can make a difference and help bring some happiness into the lives of all these children."

ATEED announced recently that Pasifika Festival would become a two day event in 2013 with an increased emphasis on tradition and authenticity. Applications for stallholders are open from now until Friday (October 19).

Pasifika Festival started life at Western Springs in 1992 and introduced the village concept in 1998. In 2008 it was rated as the most important arts event or activity to Aucklanders in the Creative New Zealand New Zealanders and the Arts survey.

Today Pasifika Festival sits as alongside the Lantern Festival and Diwali Festival of Lights as one of the key social events in Auckland’s Major events portfolio.

Visit www.aucklandnz.com/pasifika for further information.

ENDS

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