The All Black coach has put his support behind the RSA's annual campaign
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen is among the high-profile names urging Kiwis to dig deep during this year's RSA Poppy Appeal.
Hansen, who has personal connections to the services, appeared in a video message screened at the appeal's official launch held at SkyCity in Auckland today.
"Every year the RSA does a terrific job looking after New Zealand's 41,000 veterans and the young men and women serving in our armed forces at home and abroad," said Hansen.
"I know what it's like to have someone serving in the military, and the sacrifices they make for us on a daily basis deserves our support. What better way to recognise this than to buy a poppy and wear it with real pride."
Hansen is one of six official ambassadors for the appeal. The others are Buck Shelford, Oscar Kightley, Sir Peter Jackson, former soldier and widow Tina Grant and naval reservist and recording artists Rebecca Nelson.
Grant, whose husband Doug was killed in Afghanistan in 2010, said it's critical to care for those who have served, and for their families and those left behind. She works for New Zealand Defence Force as liaison officer for the Families of the Fallen organisation.
"I know from my own experience, and those of the families I work with, that there are so many things that people who have returned from service or those families affected by their family member's time overseas might need help with. It's no longer just about the older generation of soldiers either, as many of our veterans now are young people not long out of service who have to make big adjustments and sometimes need a bit of a hand."
2017 Poppy Appeal ambassador Tina Grant at the launch event in Auckland today. Photo: Getty Images
RSA national president BJ Clark said New Zealand now had 41,000 veterans of overseas deployments, the most at any time since the end of World Word II.
"Many Kiwis would be surprised to learn that nearly three quarters of those veterans served in overseas deployments since the Vietnam War.
"This younger generation of veterans have to deal with many of the same life challenges of those earlier generations of servicemen and women but perhaps without the understanding of the public that they too had experienced some dangerous, stressful and personally distressing situations in their service for New Zealand."
The appeal is the RSA's major annual fundraising drive. Funds are used to help improve the quality of life of current and former servicemen and women and their families and dependents affected by their service.
The 2016 appeal raised almost $2 million, with 100 per cent of donations distributed by local RSAs to people in their areas.
Today's launch featured speeches from Grant, Clark and RSA national chief executive Jack Steer, plus a performance by Nelson. It was MCed by The Coast drive host Jason Reeves.
Members of the public can support the appeal by making a donation to a street collector on Poppy Day, Friday, April 21. Donations can also be made at branches of ANZ and New Zealand Post, and at branches of Bunnings over the weekend of April 22 and 23. Z stations throughout the country will have special car poppies for sale.
• NZME, publisher of the Herald, will be running a special appeal to complement the national appeal. It will launch on Monday, April 17 and raise money to send children of fallen servicemen and women to a camp in Australia that helps them and provides respite care for their surviving parents and caregivers. Full details will be announced next week.
APPEAL FACTS
• The RSA was founded in 1916 by wounded World War I veterans returning home to New Zealand. • New Zealand currently has 41,000 veterans of overseas deployments. Their ages range from early 20s to more than 100. • The first Poppy Appeal was held on April 24, 1922. • New Zealand is unique in holding Poppy Day around Anzac Day. The RSA originally planned to coincide the appeal with Remembrance Day and Armistice Day in November like other Commonwealth countries. But the first shipment of poppies was delayed. • The poppies used in the appeal are made by the Christchurch RSA.
