Pizza nights to bake sales, Cantabrians rally to fundraise for cyclone-hit north

Cantabrians know the struggles of rebuilding a city from the ground up all too well, and while the 12th anniversary of the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes was remembered this week, Christchurch residents have been planning fundraisers to support those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

For the pizza lovers, The Birdwood eatery and pizzeria in Beckenham is opening up their pad on their normal Sunday evening off to raise funds for Supergrans Tairawhiti Trust, a food bank in flood-devastated Gisborne.

Staff are donating their time, suppliers are donating ingredients, items will be raffled off and 100% of every purchase from their menu will be donated.

The fundraising gig is on Sunday 26 March from 4pm, and owner Sarah Freeman is hoping to raise upwards of $10,000 to help people rebuild their lives.

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“We went through the earthquakes 12 years ago and we lost our business in that, and seeing what those guys are going through in the North Island really hit home,” Freeman said.

“I’m thinking about them all the time. You feel helpless because the scale of everything happening is just so huge, and [this] is our wee way of trying to contribute, bring community together, and send them love and money.”

For green enthusiasts, a cyclone relief foraging walk through the red zone in Christchurch on Friday evening is raising funds for Perfectly Imperfect NZ – who are supporting crop growers badly affected by the cyclone.

Organiser Liv Sisson said she plans to “bring people together outside in a moment that’s been really tough”.

“It’s been a really hard growing season… and we want to help people on the back of this disaster,” Sisson said.

The walk starts at the intersection of Kilmore St and Madras St at 5.15pm and walkers will get to eat foraged snacks made by wild kai chef Adam Harrision and learn about edible plants in the city, for a donation made to the charity.

For the gig heads, some of New Zealand’s top musical talents are performing to a sold out crowd at the Town Hall on Friday at a fundraising concert to raise money for the victims of Cyclone Gabrielle.

More than 200 tickets were snapped up in less than six hours, which has raised over $200,000 for the Red Cross. The artists – along with the venue and staff – are donating their time and resources for the fundraiser.

Team Event director Callam​ Mitchell said, “having experienced the devastating earthquakes here in Christchurch, we understand the pain and the long road ahead”.

For the sweet tooth, a humble neighbourly bake sale is on Saturday in Spreydon hosted by a group of sisters wanting to fundraise for the Cyclone Gabrielle relief fund by the Red Cross.

Organiser Charlotte Wood has an uncle, aunty and several cousins living up north affected by the cyclone who she didn’t hear from for over a week, and wants to repay the support she received after the Canterbury quakes.

“The devastation [the earthquakes] caused us, how long it took us to recover and the emotional impact it had on everyone, we’ve felt their pain,” Wood said. “It’d like to get the community involved, so they can walk away with something sweet or savoury, and know they’ve still helped.”

The bake sale will be at Centennial park on the Lyttelton St side from 11am, and Wood said “crowd favourites” will be on offer.

A group of givers named With Love From Christchurch, gathered two containers full of goods such as clothing, shoes, blankets and linen – all requested by Civil Defence who the group worked in coordination with.

The group reached full capacity of donated goods from Cantabrians this week following a three-day drop-off period. “The community has been amazing,” a group spokesperson said.