Now in its 11th year, the Butterfly Appeal is a muchloved part of Plunket’s partnership with BestStart. Each year, BestStart centres across the motu get behind the appeal in wonderfully imaginative ways, from teddy bear picnics and reading challenges to wheel-a-thons, raffles, bikeathons and blue-themed fundraising days!
But this year’s appeal was about more than raising funds. It provided an amazing opportunity to showcase just how impactful the partnership between Plunket and BestStart really is. Our kaimahi provided health, wellbeing and educational support in BestStart centres, helping more whānau access trusted health, wellbeing and parenting support close to where they already are.
BestStart Kamo Central tamariki perform a waiata for Plunket kaimahi
The top fundraising centre this year was BestStart Kamo Central in Whangārei, which raised an outstanding $3,667. Their success was helped along by teacher Karyn Morgan, who spent months crocheting handmade creatures, from octopuses and stingrays to Triceratops dinosaurs, then selling them to support the appeal.
BestStart Kamo Central Centre Manager Kay Eady said the team was proud to support Plunket’s work in their community: “Knowing that our fundraising efforts will help Plunket continue this important mahi, that has such a positive impact on the wellbeing of families, makes us very proud.”
Since the Butterfly Appeal began in 2016, BestStart centres have raised more than $569,000 for Plunket. That generosity helps us continue to be there for families when they need us most.
To everyone at BestStart - the tamariki, whānau, teachers and centre teams who fundraised with such energy and aroha and to our Plunket kaimahi who helped bring this partnership to life in communities across Aotearoa: thank you so much for being amazing.
