Ryman thanked for huge fundraising effort by Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand

Ryman Healthcare has donated $466,640 to Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand while announcing Hato Hone St John as its new charity partner.

Receiving the cheque from Ryman’s Executive Chair Dean Hamilton at a special event held at Murray Halberg Village in Auckland was the charity’s Business Manager Annabel Lush, on behalf of Tim Edmonds, CEO Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.

Tim described the donation as ’vitally important’ to the work the charity does.

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“The funds raised this year by everyone at Ryman will be invested in our support services throughout New Zealand so that no-one need face their blood cancer journey alone.

“We are extremely grateful to Ryman Healthcare for choosing LBC as their charity partner and having the shared belief that their fundraising will make a valued difference.”

An estimated 21,000 people live with blood cancer or a related condition in New Zealand, and, grouped together, blood cancers are the second most commonly diagnosed cancer type.

Being a charity and receiving no government funding, donations such as this were ‘vitally important’, Tim said.

“LBC is the only national charity dedicated to improving the lives of patients and families impacted by blood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma and serious blood conditions.”

The charity provides a range of support services, raises awareness and runs support groups throughout the country.

“We are strong advocates for better treatments and a higher standard of care, and LBC also funds targeted research for potential cures.”

Dean Hamilton said Ryman’s charity partnership programme was more than a tradition.

“It’s core to who we are as an organisation,” he said.

“It represents our commitment to making a difference, not only in the lives of our residents, but also in the broader community.”

Ryman Healthcare has made donations to a new charity each year since 1999, with over $5.5 million raised in total.

While the significant donation was a huge contribution towards vital research, Annabel said becoming Ryman’s charity partner had also provided a great opportunity to spread the message about the important work they do amongst Ryman residents up and down the country.

Information about blood cancer symptoms along with tips on how to keep yourself healthy were amongst the topics discussed as the team visited all 40 of Ryman’s villages nationwide.

“It’s a good way to raise awareness about the symptoms which are quite difficult to diagnose until it becomes a very serious disease to have.

“I know the team have loved meeting your residents and team members and answering any questions they may have,” Annabel said.

The team from Hato Hone St John with Ryman Healthcare’s Executive Chair Dean Hamilto (far right). From left: GM Community Impact and Programmes Steve Montgomery, Communications Business Partner Amy Nola, Community Partnership Fundraiser Stephen Robinson, GM Customer Experience and Marketing Natalie Davis, National Manager of Community Education Jacci Tatnell and National Manager of Partnerships and Activations Maggie Butler.

Dean also revealed that Ryman’s 2025 charity partner would be Hato Hone St John, with the organisation’s Acting Deputy Chief Executive Community Health, René Bosman, describing their reaction on hearing the news.

“When we found out we had been chosen to be Ryman Healthcare’s charity partner for 2025, we were beyond ecstatic. Ryman’s support will make a huge impact in helping us to support the communities we serve.”

René said the pairing with Ryman married up wonderfully with Hato Hone St John’s aim of providing life changing differences with communities, including extending the reach of its St John in School’s programme.

There were also plans to connect with villages: “We have lots of exciting ideas in the pipeline for next year which aim to connect with as many Ryman residents and staff as possible.

“We have extremely passionate volunteers and staff members who are excited to work with Ryman on amplifying our June 2025 Annual Appeal,” René said.

With so many worthy causes to support, Dean said it was ‘no mean feat’ to choose who to work with each year. Indeed, he said the choice was a collaborative effort between team members and residents who cast their votes from a shortlist for the cause they feel most passionate about.

“Our villages come together throughout the year holding bake sales, raffles, quizzes and dress-up days to fundraise and meet their goals. Ryman then matches this total dollar for dollar,” said Dean.

“Today is the culmination of a huge amount of commitment and effort, so thank you to our amazing teams and residents for everything they have done,” he said.

Top pic: Ryman Healthcare’s Executive Chair Dean Hamilton (centre) with representatives from Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (from left) Business Manager Annabel Lush, Grants Manager Anna Deason and Board Chair Pene Milne with Murray Halberg Village Manager Janine Snape (far right).