Northlanders dig deep for Daffodil Day fundraising

Sue Hill, from Whangārei South Rotary Club gets a donation from Tony Savage in Cameron St Mall, while the Whangārei Intermediate School Choir performs at the Daffodil Day Festival. Photos / John Stone

For Whangārei woman Sue Hall collecting for cancer support and research was an easy decision.

''It's cancer. It affects everybody. I've had family members who have had cancer, and some have died, and I've got a close family member at the moment going through it and it's a very good cause to support,'' Hall said.

Northlanders dug deep yesterday as hundreds of volunteers took to the region's streets yesterday to raise money for the Cancer Society in the annual Daffodil Day appeal.

Hall helped organise and run the Daffodil Day Festival in Cameron St Mall yesterday, which had plenty of entertainment and volunteers collecting from the enthusiastic crowds of shoppers and workers.

This is the third year Hall has been involved in the collections and said it was wonderful to see so many people donate time to collect or money to the cause.

Whangārei Intermediate Year Eight students performing in Cameron St Mall on Daffodil Day.

Around 65 Kiwis get diagnosed with cancer every day and more than 550 volunteers were out and about in Northland for Daffodil Day raising funds to fight the disease for Daffodil Day. It's hoped they will raise more than $100,000 for the Cancer Society.

Northland Cancer Society manager Jenni Moore said all money raised in Northland will be used to support services for those in the region with the disease and for research, health promotion and to help pay for the Domain Lodge, the society's accommodation in Auckland for people receiving cancer treatment there.

Meanwhile, in Kerikeri the usual army of bucket collectors and raffle sellers was bolstered by a llama from Rangemore Llama Farm, which patrolled the town centre in the morning and the Mill Lane area in the afternoon.

Other attractions included live music by the Kerikeri High School Jazz Band outside Rock Salt and the Windjammers in Cobblestone Mall, and a burger stand and cake stall outside the ANZ.

Daffodil Day collections were held in most Northland towns yesterday.