The Star: August 03, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday August 3 2017 3
News
Would you pay $10k for
dinner with Bill English?
• By Gabrielle Stuart
WOULD YOU pay $10,000 for
a dinner with Prime Minister
Bill English, or with Winston
Peters?
Two Cantabrians did last
week, for a good cause – to help
teenager Maddie Collins get a
life-saving kidney transplant in
the United States.
One was Chesters Plumbing
manager Ben Bloy, who paid
$10,000 for pre-dinner drinks
and dinner at Parliament
buildings with Bill English and
Selwyn MP Amy Adams.
He said Maddie’s story had
“touched a chord” for him, as
his own daughter was a similar
age.
But he also wanted the
chance to speak with the prime
minister about how difficult
things had been for small
businesses in Christchurch since
the earthquakes.
He planned to ask Mr English
to make more investment in
Christchurch, he said.
“We need investment in our
city. The anchor projects need
to get going, because some businesses
are really struggling,” he
said.
He said it was a lot to pay for
a dinner, but he said Maddie’s
story had inspired him and he
wanted to help.
“We get caught up with stupid
things going on in our lives,
our ‘first world problems’ with
potholes and things, but here’s
someone living with no kidneys,”
he said.
Another Christchurch man,
who did not want to be named,
paid $10,000 for a dinner at
Parliament with Mr Peters.
He was not a NZ First voter,
but said he thought Mr Peters
would be an “interesting
character” to talk with. He said
he knew Maddie’s family, and
DETERMINATION: West Melton teen Maddie Collins needs
a kidney transplant and is hoping to raise $700,000 for an
operation in the United States. PHOTO: SOPHIE MCMILLAN
wanted to help.
More than $100,000 was
raised through the auction and
dinner at Addington Raceway
last week, bringing the total
raised for Maddie to more than
$270,000.
The expected cost of the
transplant at The Johns
Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore,
United States, is more than
$700,000.
Maddie is in Auckland’s
Starship Hospital this week
with her mother, Sarah Manson
Collins, having more tests and
getting advice about Maddie’s
medication and dialysis
treatment.
Mrs Manson Collins said she
was confident enough money
would be raised to get Maddie
the treatment.
Last week The Star spoke
with Jane Laurie, the woman
who made a $1.5 million pledge
to the family, which they now
believe was false.
Ben Bloy
Bill English
Mrs Laurie last messaged
the family on Thursday, saying
“things went wrong” and she
should not have contacted them
until everything was settled
with the money.
“I sorry it hasn’t worked out
the way I planned,” she said in
the message.
•To help Maddie get
treatment go to https://
givealittle.co.nz/cause/
givethegiftoflifetomaddie
In Brief
STOLEN VAN VICTIM NAMED
The man killed after crashing a
stolen vehicle in St Albans was
30-year-old Jeremiah Jason Dick.
The van Dick was driving crashed
into a ute at the intersection of
Cranford St and Innes Rd at
about 12.57pm on Tuesday. The
van belonged to a contractor who
worked for aluminium joinery
company Nulook Solutions. A staff
member said the van was stolen
from a nearby work site minutes
before the crash.
PASSENGER GRABS WHEEL
A passenger in a van involved in
a crash on Riccarton Rd had to
grab the wheel after the driver had
a seizure and hit the accelerator.
The vehicle smashed into another
vehicle before overturning. The
crash happened at about 10.10am
and blocked both lanes of traffic
on Riccarton Rd with one vehicle
ending up on its side. Three
people were taken to Christchurch
Hospital.
MELBOURNE CUP IN CITY
The 18-carat gold Emirates
Melbourne Cup is coming to
Christchurch tomorrow. At
10am it will be at St Thomas’ of
Canterbury College before heading
to The Atrium on the corner of
Colombo and High Sts at noon for
two hours. It will be at Rannerdale
Veterans Village at 2.30pm before
going to Riccarton Park. The
cup is visiting with racing legend
Scott Seamer as part of its 15th
annual tour of Australia and New
Zealand.
TRAPPED SAVING CAT
A man attempting to rescue a cat
from a roof in Woolston ended up
needing to call the Fire Service to
rescue him. Woolston firefighters
were called to Randolph St at about
12.45pm on Tuesday after a man
used a fence to get on the roof to
rescue a stricken feline, but was
unable to get down. “He went up
on the roof without a ladder,” a
fire communications spokesman
said. “Lucky he took his phone
with him.” The cat was also rescued.
The elegant bra
with supreme comfort
• Lasts 3 times longer than most bras
• No under wires
• Straps do not fall down
• Full support from beneath the bust
• Unique shape wear
• Breast Prostheses fitted and supplied
• Esther is a registered health provider
Front-opening options in all bra styles
FREE
CONSULTATIONS
AND FITTINGS
Esther Rökk UnderFashions
For appointments please phone 322-6590
82 Milns Rd, Halswell • www.eru.co.nz
Running
1st & 3rd Sundays
every month
WEKA PASS RAILWAY
Steam Locomotive in Service
Train hire available
Fares: Adults $30 Child $12 - Family $70
Dep Glenmark 11.30am & 2.00pm
Dep Waikari 1.00pm & 3.10pm
Infoline: 0800wekapass
www.wekapassrailway.co.nz
TROUBLE HEARING?
• Reduce listening effort
throughout your day,
resulting in less stress &
fatigue.
• Understand speech
in difficult listening
situations, eg.
Restaurants.
Call today to book an appointment for a
Free hearing check & hearing aid demo
Merivale Hearing Clinic
24b Church Lane.
Call now: 356 2324
Greg Foote,
Audiologist MNZAS