Maisey Rika lends voice to FebFast 2012

23 December 2011

Maisey Rika lends voice to FebFast 2012

Award-winning singer and songwriter Maisey Rika is voicing her support for next year’s FebFast fundraiser.

She’s an ambassador for the New Zealand Drug Foundation event, which raises money for charities working with young people affected by alcohol and drug issues.

And she’s urging people to sign up for FebFast at www.febfast.org.nz.

“This is such a worthwhile thing to support,” she says. “I know a few people who have gone off the rails with drinking or drugs, and I want to support people in this situation so they can get the help they need.”

FebFast challenges New Zealanders to give up drinking alcohol for a month in February 2012 to raise money via online sponsorship for youth charities around New Zealand.

Nearly a thousand people took part in the first FebFast in February 2011, which raised more than $100,000 for four community organisations. People can participate as individuals or in teams of friends, family, workmates and so on.

The recipient organisations for 2012 are:

• Evolve, a free Wellington service for young people aged 10 to 25 years. Evolve provides a wide range of general health, primary care and social services to assist youth. The funding it receives from FebFast will support a new programme for brief interventions with young people around alcohol and drug use. You can read more about Evolve at www.evolveyouth.org.nz.

• The ADHD Association, which educates, supports and advocates for people affected by ADHD. FebFast funding will support the development of a substance abuse educational resource for young people with ADHD. Research shows that this group are more prone to substance abuse. The DVD/study guide produced from FebFast funding will be a first in New Zealand for ADHD, and will be relevant to the many social agencies involved with this group. You can read more about the ADHD Association at www.adhd.org.nz.

• Rainbow Youth, Auckland. Queer and Transgender youth are more likely to drink often and heavily, more likely to drink alone, and more likely to have had family or friends tell them to reduce their drinking. Rainbow Youth wants to change the way alcohol and drug use is viewed, and will use its FebFast funding to raise awareness of the issues, for example through the use of blogs on the www.curious.org.nz and the www.rainbowyouth.org.nz sites.

•CareNZ, Waikato. Every year CareNZ helps more than 2700 people overcome addiction issues. FebFast funding will support an ongoing project that follows up focus group results collected from 14 schools. This will involve raising awareness of alcohol issues, the availability of help, and the need to diminish the harm caused by youth drinking in schools. You can read more about CareNZ at www.carenz.org.nz.

FebFast Coordinator Catherine Milburn says the event is all about participation, giving others a helping hand, and giving our bodies a break after the hectic festive season.

“It’s about having fun, taking a month off alcohol during February to create some space in our busy lives, and reflecting on how we drink and what our goals are for the year ahead,” she says. “It’s fantastic having Maisey involved.”

Maisey was an ambassador for the first FebFast event earlier this year and says she enjoyed taking part.

“I’m 100 percent behind FebFast. If you’re thinking of doing it but you’re not sure, my advice is to just do it. This is a chance to raise money for good community initiatives and to really shine a light on these issues.”

ENDS

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