Farmers gives $1m to leukaemia charity

David and Anne Norman say they never take profits out of their companies. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Farmers' $1 million donation to the Leukaemia and Blood Foundation has a personal connection for the firm's owners.

David and Anne Norman have both lost family members to leukaemia, "so they are very motivated in that regard", said Farmers managing director Rod McDermott.

The first quarter of the donation was presented to the foundation at Farmers' centenary celebrations last month. The remaining $750,000 will be given over the next three years.

The gift is part of $3 million of philanthropy by the chain, its staff and customers, to benefit numerous charities around the country and those affected by the tsunamis in Samoa and Tonga.

"This was our opportunity to give back to the communities within which we've operated for 100 years," said Mr McDermott.

Farmers named the foundation as its national charity last year. It raised $113,000 in donations from customers and gave the same amount itself. In 2006, Pascoes the Jewellers, also owned by the Normans (Mrs Norman was a Pascoe), gave $100,000 to the foundation.

"This recent, incredibly generous donation from Farmers helps to ensure that we can continue to bring quality programmes to patients and their families," said the foundation's executive director, Pru Etcheverry. "This gives a level of security around our current programmes."

She said the foundation was a recipient charity of last year's Farmers Santa Parade and would be again this year. Farmers had also helped by promoting awareness of lymphoma, a little-known group of blood-cell cancers, by distributing brochures and emailing customers on its database. This had led to hundreds of hits on the foundation's website.

The foundation exists to promote awareness of leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood diseases, to support patients, finance research, provide information, and to advocate for patients' interests.

Last year the revenue of the foundation, which receives no Government funding, was just over $2 million.

The Normans, in a rare media interview, told the Herald in September that they never take profits out of their companies.

The newspaper calculates that their James Pascoe Ltd retail empire, which has 611 outlets in New Zealand and Australia under various brands including Farmers, takes in annual revenue of around $2 billion.

Farmers launched an ambitious charitable project to mark its centenary, in which its shops and other staff supported a charity or community project, including cancer groups, volunteer firefighters and a search and rescue organisation.

It and its customers also contributed to tsunami relief efforts in Samoa and Tonga.