What better way to fund-raise during the cold winter months in New Zealand than to cook up some popcorn and screen a classic Kiwi movie.

Sysmex held two movie nights (one in June and the other in August) where the classic movies ‘Goodbye Pork Pie’ and ‘Footrot Flats – The Dogs Tale’ were screened, raising money for the Kiwis for Kiwi charity. Though the movies may be dated, the comedic value remained and both movie nights were an enormous hit with Sysmex Staff – proving that great Kiwi humour is timeless. Dinner was served both nights, with the second night’s dinner of homemade soups generously provided by staff attending the event. The Classic Kiwi Movie Nights proved to be such a success, that it is likely to become an annual event.

Kiwis for Kiwi is the trading name and call to action of The Kiwi Trust – a fully independent charity, officially launched in October 2012 to protect kiwi and their natural habitat. Their goal is to reverse the decline of kiwi and see a rise in their numbers nationally and every part of the programme is geared towards achieving this vision. They support on-the-ground kiwi projects led by community groups, predator removal from kiwi habitats, as well as kiwi sanctuaries and captive facilities. Much of the work is undertaken by communities, iwi and hap?, who together protect tens of thousands of hectares so that kiwi can survive and flourish.

To find out more about the Kiwis for Kiwi fund, or to see how you can get involved, check out their website – www.kiwisforkiwi.org.

We would like to send out a big thank you to Magpie Productions and South Pacific Pictures who allowed us to screen Footrot Flats for free as part of our fund-raising efforts. Also, thanks to the NZ Film Commission for their assistance in gaining permission for us to screen Goodbye Pork Pie.