Breakfast Event in Christchurch After Devastating Earthquake

The Breakfast for Canterbury event in Christchurch was described as a celebration of the region's resilience and the hard work that is going on to rebuild the area. It took the form of a live broadcast of "Breakfast" which runs from 6am to 9am on weekday mornings. At the same time, celebrities in Auckland and Wellington were doing street collections to raise money for the earthquake fund.

The Breakfast for Canterbury Earthquake Celebration

The show was hosted by the TV One Breakfast team of Corin Dann, Paul Henry, Pippa Wetzell and Tamati Coffey. The broadcast included a number of interviews as well as interaction with the crowd of several thousand. Guests included Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker and New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

The coordinator of the Red Cross was interviewed and said the Red Cross has been working tirelessly since the earthquake struck Christchurch.All the staff are volunteers and 100 percent of funds collected go to the earthquake fund. A phone number was given out for people to call to make an instant $20 donation to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal and the lines were jammed throughout the show.

Entertainment at the Breakfast for Canterbury Earthquake Event

The crowd of several thousand were treated to a free breakfast and food was available for the duration of the event. People lined up and collected sausage and bacon on bread, hot drinks, boxes of juice and ice cream.

In between news interviews, footage of the devastation in the city was shown on a huge screen in Cathedral Square. Air New Zealand flew in local bands - Kids of 88, J Williams, Stellar and The Feelers and they entertained the crowds with lively music. This included songs and raps written especially about the earthquake and Christchurch was urged to keep strong.

Hope Generated by the Breakfast for Canterbury Earthquake Event

Cathedral Square was packed with people and the feeling was one of hope, expectation and appreciation of the support shown by the rest of the country. People were waving their arms, clapping and cheering while school children stood in clusters and small children enjoyed the bouncing castle. Sweets were thrown out for them and dressed-up cartoon characters roamed the crowd.

The breakfast was greatly enjoyed and there was a genuine sense of celebration amongst the people. After three weeks of aftershocks and devastation, the people were able to focus on something different and feel and see the support of others around New Zealand.

The show also brought fresh hope to those who are homeless after the earthquake and others who have no water and toilet facilities. These problems were discussed on air and assurances were made that they would be dealt with as soon as possible.

The Breakfast for Canterbury event was organized to celebrate Christchurch and Canterbury's resilience after the 7.1 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake caused an estimated NZ$4 billion of damage. The presence of Mayor Bob Parker and Prime Minister John Key were an encouragement to the crowd and the event was extremely positive for all concerned.