Charity auction raises $70,000

About $70,000 was raised at the Bethlehem Foundation’s annual charity auction and dinner at the weekend – $20,000 more than organisers expected.

Around 300 people attended the charity’s sixth annual event at Tauranga Racecourse on Saturday night where 43 items were auctioned off to raise money for both the Bethlehem Foundation and Kidney Kids New Zealand.

All Black Joeli Vidiri attended the auction on behalf of Kidney Kids, which will receive around $35,000 from the charity auction.

Bethlehem Foundation chief executive Peter Wyatt is “very rapt” with how the night went.

“Everybody says they had a great night.

“We even got 13 bookings for next year, when the co-recipients will be cystic fibrosis.”

Peter says Kidney Kids, which provides support and information to families who have children with kidney problems, are very pleased.

Chief executive officer Paul Norfolk says it was a great night, “not only for the money raised but for the 300 more people who now know about Kidney Kids”.

The most expensive item was a spa pool which went for $9000 – ahead of a jeroboam Mills Reef wine, a $3800 holiday in the Cook Islands and a $3800 six-month car lease.

Peter says each year 50 per cent of the event’s net profits are given to a children’s charity – with funds from previous years going to Homes of Hope and IHC IDEA Services.

Former All Blacks winger Joeli Vidiri, who is currently awaiting a kidney transplant, attended the auction on behalf of Kidney Kids.