Table a tender to help the blind

3 May 2006

Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB)

Tanks, Red Pandas and lunch with Brash – table a tender to help the blind

Do you fancy a week in Niue? Or is your life-long dream to drive a 42 tonne Centurian Tank? Maybe you need a new website (to the value of $10,000) or you can't get enough of Abe's Bagels and want a month's supply delivered to your door.

The RNZFB's annual 'Blind Bid' online auction kicks off next week, and up for grabs is a huge assortment of goodies. And with reserves set at just $1 (excluding the limousines and Jaguars for sale) organisers are hoping New Zealanders will bid up a storm!

"Whatever you're after, you're pretty likely to find it on Blind Bid," says Julie McMeeken, RNZFB National Events Co-ordinator and Blind Bid organiser.

"There's been such a great response with businesses and the public around the country donating a huge variety of goods.

"We have everything from eye checks, cycle helmets and Breath of Life resuscitators for the health and safety conscious, to river rafting, a kayak trip and a seal swim for the more adventurous, to encounters with Red Pandas and lunch with Don Brash!

"We hope to raise over $60,000 from the auction with all proceeds helping blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders achieve independence."

The online charity auction will be hosted by TradeMe from 8 – 15 May (www.trademe.co.nz/stores then go to the RNZFB link). To check out the items before the auction go to www.blindbid.org.nz.

The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) is New Zealand's primary provider of vision-related habilitation and rehabilitation services to blind, deafblind and vision-impaired people.

Each year nearly 1,200 New Zealanders who have gone blind or experienced serious sight loss register as RNZFB members.

Just one-third of the RNZFB’s $21m annual operating budget comes from Government. The RNZFB has to raise the rest from donations, sponsorships, legacies and bequests.

ENDS

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