National President, Phil Johns, provides an update on next week’s fundraiser for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

Dear Swannies and Friends

Last month, it was Australia’s turn with the Queensland floods. Today, 145 are confirmed dead and another 200 are still missing after Tuesday’s horrific earthquake in Christchurch.

The NZ Chamber of Commerce is organising the following fundraisers in Saigon:

• Thursday 3 March, 6.30-8.30pm, Saigon Saigon Bar, Caravelle Hotel. Price 300,000VND and discount drinks. Auctions, raffles, donations.
• Saturday 5 March, New Zealand Wine and Food Festival, collection buckets, raffles and auctions
• Monday, 21 March, Sports Charity Dinner (details to be confirmed).

If you would like to donate a raffle prize / auction item, please contact John Gardner, the General Manager of the Caravelle Hotel (ph 38234999). Alternatively, you may contact either Derrin or myself to pass on your details.

Swannies, we know first hand the difference these events make for the people back home – and for those within our community over here who are grieving. Now is not the time to be suffering from compassion fatigue. Now is the time for us to act in support of the NZ Chamber’s fundraising initiatives. In two months time, when we observe the minute’s silence at our Australia New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Friendship Match, we will know that we did something for the New Zealanders when it mattered.

• Please see the post below on this website, which contains the email from Warrick Cleine, Chairman of the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce regarding the fundraisers.
• Immediately below, please see comments received from people connected with the Swans. Those comments make us realise how important it is to support the Kiwis on Thursday.

Again, please contact John Gardner for raffle prizes. And please come along next Thursday evening from 6.30-8.30pm at the Caravelle Hotel with as many people as you can.

Comments received by the Swannies:

• Heather Riddell, NZ Ambassador to Vietnam – I don’t think anyone can yet come to terms with the enormity of what has happened and I would like to thank you and the Vietnam Swans so much for your words of sympathy and solidarity.   We appreciate very much your sentiments and offer of future support.
• Graham Sims, NZ Consul General to Vietnam – People in NZ are devastated with scenes of destruction from the beautiful city of Christchurch. The entire downtown area will need to be rebuilt. Our son working in Christchurch received minor injuries and was lucky not to be walking back from lunch at that time. Thank you for your concern and for your offer of help. The Australian rescue teams are doing a wonderful job.
• Andrew, Melbourne – (Swannies), your words were spot on. As a former resident of Christchurch it is much appreciated on my behalf.
• Kiwi Resident in Vietnam - Thanks so much for your message. Yes we do have family in Christchurch but luckily they are safe and sound.
• Kiwi Resident in Vietnam – Thank you.
• Roger, USA – Yes bad news, but as always the Swans look like they are on top of this and hope you get a lot of support.
• Sandra, Christchurch – Thanks for thinking of us and your kind words.  The majority of our family is in Christchurch. We are very lucky and all are safe. Their houses have varying degrees of damage. One of our aunts now has the Avon river flowing through her front room, mind you she always wanted a river view. And another was very lucky and only lost some china. I know I am very relieved that they are all okay. The heartache has been very hard and I know my mum and sisters have worried a lot for our family and friends, feeling helpless that there is so little we can do for them.
• Kiwi Resident in Vietnam - I’m home in Christchurch now. Family fine. House in a very poor state, expect a full rebuild but no time soon. Appreciate your kind wishes.
• Kiwi Resident in Vietnam – Thank you for what the Vietnam Swans (have done).
• Kiwi Resident in Vietnam temporarily back in Christchurch – We are all ok, just tired from lack of sleep. Water is now back on and had power on not long after. Still loads of after shocks which make it hard to sleep. The area where our house is is very badly hit but our house is ok, very minor damage. The area around us is a mess, roads buckled, pipes broken, liquefaction, collapsed walls etc.
• Joy, Christchurch – I happened to be away in Auckland and now home with the family. They are all OK. The house is OK. Material things damaged but they are fine so nothing else matters.

Warrick Cleine, the Chairman of the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce, announces details of the upcoming fundraiser in Saigon for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

Dear fellow Kiwis and friends of New Zealand,

This week, New Zealand has experienced its worst ever natural disaster, with the aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquake. The enormous loss of hundreds of lives, is tragic enough. In addition, several thousand homes in and around our second largest city have been deemed uninhabitable. The widespread devastation has made what was once the iconic garden city of Christchurch, and gateway to our beautiful South Island, desperately in need of our enormous financial assistance. One preliminary estimate has put the material cost of this devastation at some NZ$16 billion (US$12 billion).

We all have some type of connection to Christchurch, whether we grew up there, have family or friends there, possibly spent time at university there, or even just had an enjoyable holiday passing through there. We know the great people of Christchurch and New Zealand will recover from this. It will be a test of our character, and of our nationhood to ensure this occurs. It will and must occur. We can rebuild Christchurch, but our resolve must be strong.

It is important that we do our bit and show the people of Christchurch, the financial and moral support of the community within Vietnam.

The New Zealand Chamber Of Commerce in Vietnam is in the process of organising various fundraising initiatives to assist our brothers and sisters in Christchurch.

There have been widespread offers of support and assistance from within the New Zealand community in Vietnam, as well as from our global neighbours.

In the true spirit of ANZAC, our transtasman cousins at the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam were the first to reach out to us to offer their assistance. Other chambers and organisations have also followed with offers of assistance.

We are most grateful for all offers of support.

The purpose of this email is to give you a “heads up” that the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce is organising its first major fundraising event for the Vietnam Christchurch Earthquake Appeal for next Thursday, 3 March, 2011, between 630pm and 830pm, at Saigon Saigon Bar, at the top of the Caravelle Hotel, and you are invited to attend, and to bring along as many friends as possible. The cost of entry will be VND300,000/person, with selected drinks at a discounted rate. The Caravelle Hotel has kindly agreed to donate all proceeds from such drink sales to the Vietnam Christchurch Earthquake Appeal. There will also be a live auction, and a raffle, as well as donation buckets. Please remember to “save the date” in your diaries now.

We are currently, and desperately, seeking items to be donated for the raffle and auction for next Thursday’s event at Saigon Saigon Bar, as well as for a live auction and raffle which will take place at the New Zealand Wine and Food Festival next Saturday. All proceeds from such auctions and raffles will go towards helping the people of Christchurch rebuild their lives and their city. The person to contact with any items to be donated for the auctions and the raffles is John Gardner, the General Manager of the Caravelle Hotel (ph 38234999; [email protected]) who is acting as the prize coordinator. I would encourage each and every one of you to source at least one item and donate it for the auctions/raffles. Any items will be gratefully received.

We are also working out logistics with respect to accepting pledges and major donations, and will revert to you further on that initiative next week.

We very much look forward to seeing you at Saigon Saigon Bar at the Caravelle Hotel at 630pm next Thursday, 3 March to support our first fundraising event for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal. Please remember to bring lots of cash!

Many thanks for your support.

Kia kaha,
Warrick Cleine
Chairman
New Zealand Chamber Of Commerce Vietnam

Following yesterday’s devastating earthquake in Christchurch, the Vietnam Swans National President today wrote to Vietnam’s New Zealand Ambassador, Heather Riddell and New Zealand Consul General, Graham Sims in Vietnam to send our condolences.

Dear Heather and Graham

It is with great sadness that the Vietnam Swans Australian Rules Football Club has learned of the terrible tragedy that has struck Christchurch.

Given the very close relationship that exists between the New Zealand and Australian communities, it is not surprising that a growing number of people associated with our Club are finding themselves directly affected by the earthquake.

On behalf of the National Committee, and all our members, friends and associates, I would like to convey the Vietnam Swans’ deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of New Zealand.

This morning, (New Zealand Prime Minister) John Key told the people of Christchurch and New Zealand, “The world is with you … they are putting their shoulder to your wheel.”

If a fundraiser is being organised in Hanoi and/or HCMC, the Vietnam Swans would be very pleased to actively promote it through our network.

John Key also said, “Christchurch, this is not your test, this is New Zealand’s test.” Rest assured, it is also a test that is being shared by a much wider community.

Yours sincerely

Phil Johns

The New Zealand Ambassador later replied:

Dear Phil

I don’t think anyone can yet come to terms with the enormity of what has happened and I would like to thank you and the Vietnam Swans so much for your words of sympathy and solidarity.

We appreciate very much your sentiments and offer of future support.

With kind regards

Heather