www.tvnz.co.nz, 14 July 2010
Throughout New Zealand there is a special breed of people who always go the extra mile, not for themselves but for their communities. Outside of their communities their hard work often goes unnoticed, which has seen them earn the honorary title of 'Kiwi battlers'.
But their hard work is no longer going unnoticed. Gareth Morgan, from Gareth Morgan Investments, wants to reward them but he needs your help to find the most deserving. "I thought it was about time we recognised some of New Zealand's top Kiwi battlers. So through the Morgan Foundation we are launching a nation-wide search to identify and acknowledge the battlers and grafters out there and to reward them. I guess you could call it battler idol."
Anyone can be nominated as long as they are involved in some kind of community focused activity and they must have a stick-at-it-ness to overcome obstacles. Their contribution must have also achieved tangible benefits for their community.
Across 13 regions a shortlist of 5 battlers will be selected and then the public will vote to decide the winning battler from each region. Each winning Kiwi Battler will receive $1,000 each, plus the Morgan Foundation will donate $10,000 to the charity of their choice. The panel will then choose an overall national winner who will get an extra $20,000 for their charity and a further $2,000 for themselves.
To nominate someone go to www.kiwibattler.com Nominations close on July 27 and the winners will be announced in September. Also keep an eye on TVNZ's Close Up as they will be bringing you each Kiwi battlers' story.