Lucy Lawless: Get behind Help Our Kids

We need you to help us to Help Our Kids. The Herald is running a major campaign to try and raise at least $150,000 for our national children’s hospital, Starship. Each year, more than 9000 Kiwi kids from right throughout the country are treated in Starship’s theatres. Now it’s our turn to help the hospital and staff that Help Our Kids.

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Lucy Lawless has urged New Zealanders to get behind the Help Our Kids campaign to help raise funds for the national children's hospital, Starship.

The actor and Herald columnist is an ambassador for the hospital and also sits on the Starship Foundation Board of Trustees.

In a video message sent from the US, Lawless says Starship has around 120,000 patient visits a year, and 9000 of those children need to be operated on.

"Twenty-two years ago when the operating theatres were outfitted, they were up-to-the-minute and state-of-the-art. But of course medical and surgical procedures have moved on quite a bit since then and the operating theatres are a bit tired.

"We have a massive push for an upgrade so please help us and get to helpourkids.co.nz and donate because you know every penny of your money at Starship is very well spent."

Lawless has been huge driving force for Starship campaigns over the years and has done everything from working in a bakery and waiting tables to painting a life size fibreglass horse and singing swing classics to help raise funds.

Joining Lawless in appealing to New Zealanders is Starship Foundation Chief Executive Brad Clark.

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"The Starship operating rooms are in desperate need of an upgrade so we can do a better job for our young patients and their families," he says. "With help from The New Zealand Herald, and you, we can provide a better environment for our world-class surgical teams to work their magic.

"On average a child every hour is treated in Starship operating rooms and they're counting on us to get the job done. And we need your help. Please give generously to the Help our kids' appeal. Every little bit helps."

The Help Our Kids campaign aims to raise $150,000 to help fund vital equipment for a new operating room at the hospital and the refurbishment of four existing operating rooms.

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