It's time to make a difference.

Warrick Cleine, the Chairman of the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, announces details of the upcoming fundraiser in Saigon for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

Dear fellow Kiwis and friends of New Zealand,

This week, New Zealand has experienced its worst ever natural disaster, with the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake. The enormous loss of hundreds of lives, is tragic enough. In addition, several thousand homes in and around our second largest city have been deemed uninhabitable. The widespread devastation has made what was once the iconic garden city of Christchurch, and gateway to our beautiful South Island, desperately in need of our enormous financial assistance. One preliminary estimate has put the material cost of this devastation at some NZ$16 billion (US$12 billion).

We all have some type of connection to Christchurch, whether we grew up there, have family or friends there, possibly spent time at university there, or even just had an enjoyable holiday passing through there. We know the great people of Christchurch and New Zealand will recover from this. It will be a test of our character, and of our nationhood to ensure this occurs. It will and must occur. We can rebuild Christchurch, but our resolve must be strong.

It is important that we do our bit and show the people of Christchurch, the financial and moral support of the community within Vietnam.

The New Zealand Chamber Of Commerce in Vietnam is in the process of organising various fundraising initiatives to assist our brothers and sisters in Christchurch.

There have been widespread offers of support and assistance from within the New Zealand community in Vietnam, as well as from our global neighbours.

In the true spirit of ANZAC, our transtasman cousins at the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam were the first to reach out to us to offer their assistance. Other chambers and organisations have also followed with offers of assistance.

We are most grateful for all offers of support.

The purpose of this email is to give you a “heads up” that the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce is organising its first major fundraising event for the Vietnam Christchurch Earthquake Appeal for next Thursday, 3 March, 2011, between 630pm and 830pm, at Saigon Saigon Bar, at the top of the Caravelle Hotel, and you are invited to attend, and to bring along as many friends as possible. The cost of entry will be VND300,000/person, with selected drinks at a discounted rate. The Caravelle Hotel has kindly agreed to donate all proceeds from such drink sales to the Vietnam Christchurch Earthquake Appeal. There will also be a live auction, and a raffle, as well as donation buckets. Please remember to “save the date” in your diaries now.

We are currently, and desperately, seeking items to be donated for the raffle and auction for next Thursday’s event at Saigon Saigon Bar, as well as for a live auction and raffle which will take place at the New Zealand Wine and Food Festival next Saturday. All proceeds from such auctions and raffles will go towards helping the people of Christchurch rebuild their lives and their city. The person to contact with any items to be donated for the auctions and the raffles is John Gardner, the General Manager of the Caravelle Hotel (ph 38234999; gm@caravellehotel.vnn.vn) who is acting as the prize coordinator. I would encourage each and every one of you to source at least one item and donate it for the auctions/raffles. Any items will be gratefully received.

We are also working out logistics with respect to accepting pledges and major donations, and will revert to you further on that initiative next week.

We very much look forward to seeing you at Saigon Saigon Bar at the Caravelle Hotel at 630pm next Thursday, 3 March to support our first fundraising event for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal. Please remember to bring lots of cash!

Many thanks for your support.

Kia kaha,
Warrick Cleine
Chairman
New Zealand Chamber Of Commerce Vietnam