Telethon set for Christchurch earthquake

New Zealand actor Martin Henderson has signed on to support the Rise Up telethon. Photo / Herald on Sunday

A 12-hour telethon for Christchurch is going to air on May 22, three months after the city's devastating February earthquake.

The fundraiser will be broadcast by Maori TV using Christchurch's CBS arena as a base, linking to centres around New Zealand and crossing live to events in London, Los Angeles and Sydney.

The telethon, entitled Rise Up Christchurch - Te Kotahitanga, will also be streamed live online. The event has been established in partnership with the RiseUpChristchurch Facebook network, which was set up in the days following the February 22 quake.

High-profile supporters of the telethon include Rise Up for Christchurch ambassadors Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Jason Kerrison, Pippa Wetzell, Mike McRoberts and Stacey Morrison as well as Maori TV's Carol Hirschfeld, Julian Wilcox, and Amomai Pihama.

Expatriate celebrities who have committed to supporting the telethon include Rachel Hunter, Anna Paquin and Martin Henderson, with more to be announced.

The 12-hour broadcast from 9am on Sunday May 22 will feature stories of heroism and hardship from Christchurch as well as covering earlier fundraising efforts.

People will be able to pledge money by toll-free line and donate directly online as well as issue online challenges across the Facebook network.

On the web, the Facebook page RiseUpChristchurch has integrated the telethon into its site and will operate in conjunction with the Rise Up website.

Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker welcomes the event and says the news of the telethon "is a big boost for us. It seems lately we've been taking three steps forward and one step back but we're holding our heads high. We want to celebrate the huge amount of fundraising done to date by individuals and groups.

"And we also want to bring home to Kiwis everywhere, especially those living in other parts of the world, that Christchurch is going to need ongoing support."

Diary giant Fonterra has already made a contribution of $500,000 towards production costs of the broadcast.

- TimeOut