CEO Build In Aotea Square About To Begin

The hammering of the first nail for the Habitat for Humanity CEO Build will take place this Monday 8 April as Aotea Square is temporarily transformed into a building site.

CEOs and their teams from companies throughout New Zealand will swap brief cases for tool boxes as they come together to create a home for a family less fortunate.

The first nail will be driven in at 8.55am by Raymond Cardona, who will be the homeowner.

Judging by the vast public support for the project, Habitat is expecting a large turnout for the opening ceremony that will begin at 8.45am on Monday with a welcome from Ian Hay, Chairman of Habitat for Humanity.

The Cardona family are delighted at the huge number of companies who have signed up to participate. So far almost 100 business people will be helping out. “It’s absolutely amazing,” says Raymond’s wife Fetaiai, “it really is a dream come true.”

The three-bedroom house will be built between the 8th and the 12th of April thanks to the support of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, The Edge and Ford.

CEO of the Auckland Chamber Michael Barnett says, “It’s just fantastic to see companies of all sizes come together to help the community through Habitat. We will be there to assist with the driving of the first nail and encourage other businesses to do the same.”

So far companies signed up range from corporates such as ASB Bank with 25 people participating to smaller businesses like Copybook, whose Director Mac Robson has committed to working on the site the whole week.

Upon completion, the house will be shifted to South Auckland where it will become home to the Cardona family. Raymond and Fetaiai have three children, Anthony (8), Fetuna (5), and Raymond Junior (4). The family decided to apply for a Habitat home because they could not afford to save the $30,000 deposit required for the bank to give them a mortgage.

The Cardona family will purchase the house at cost and make interest free repayments. In addition to these repayments, the Cardona family will also invest 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ into other Habitat houses. The Cardona’s have already almost completed their hours, with their house being the third they have worked on, but according to Raymond he doesn’t intend to stop with his own.

It is the first time ever in New Zealand that Habitat for Humanity has involved Chief Executives in a team build. Habitat is a charitable organisation that has operated in New Zealand for the past eight years. There are currently 13,000 New Zealand families living in sub-standard housing. Habitat’s purpose is to work with these families and help them realise the dream of owning their own home.

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