KidsCan StandTall Press Release

Your support of KidsCan is invaluable and we are looking forward to an incredible weekend on Saturday August 8th and Sunday August 9th for the Big Night In, Telethon screening on TV3. The money raised over the 23 hours of Telethon will go towards supporting the 153 schools on the waiting list for help from KidsCan Stand Tall.

The children at these schools are in urgent need of our raincoats, shoes and food programmes.

All the television production costs for The Big Night In have been met by generous sponsors, supporters and TV3.

We're working right up to and during the event to garner further support to offset final costs required to put on the event.

Following the final independent audit, KidsCan will give a full disclosure of the costs for the event and revenue generated, by no later than October 30.

After The Big Night In Telethon we will also give you regular up-dates on this website so you know how our work with kids in poverty is proceeding with the money you generously donated to The Big Night In.

— Julie Helson, CEO, KidsCan Stand Tall

KidsCan StandTall Charitable Trust

Imagine living in a world where you can't be sure of three meals a day, adequate clothing and shoes to keep your feet warm and dry. For thousands of New Zealand children, this is a reality. These children are more likely to get sick more often, miss out on school excursions and cannot participate fully in the classroom. This leads to social isolation and feelings of worthlessness.

Education equals opportunity! Unfortunately in New Zealand thousands of children live their lives in poverty, going without the basics most of us take for granted. This has a major impact on their ability to learn and participate at school, preventing them to reach their full potential.

KidsCan StandTall Charitable Trust is a national charity dedicated to ensuring all Kiwi kids affected by poverty can look forward to a brighter future. The Trust was founded in August 2005 by Julie Helson and Carl Sunderland. KidsCan StandTall delivers four targeted programmes — Raincoats for Kids, Shoes for Kids, Food for Kids and StandTall. These four programmes help remove the physical and nutritional barriers which may prevent financially disadvantaged children, who attend low decile schools from getting the most out of their education. Click here for more information on KidsCan StandTall.