Rangiora Earthquake Express

UPDATED 1440HRS.

· Rangiora Earthquake Express road trains are trundling out of Rangiora Racecourse at the rate of one every two or three hours.

· The convoys of private 4WDs and trailer-shod cars are delivering food and essential supplies to the worst hit areas of south-east Christchurch.

· Organiser Fiona Parkes says she and her team of volunteers are speechless at the generosity of New Zealanders.

· Donations received or promised during the past 24 hours include:
o A container load of water bottles from Spring Fresh
o An unlimited supply of muesli bars from Griffins
o An unlimited supply of burger buns, 10,000kgs of bacon, 15,000 chicken nuggets from McDonald’s
o 6,000 chocolate bars from Cadbury
o A pallet load of torches and batteries from T K Global + use of a refrigerated container.
o A sizeable donation from Canterbury earthquake Trust.
o Sanitizer and emergency supplies from Canterbury 4WD club.

· Rangiora Earthquake Express still urgently needs donations of (in order of priority):
o Non-perishable food items: tins – i.e. baked beans, spaghetti, corn, peas, tuna, corned beef, long life milk, sugar, pet food etc.
o Empty and full water bottles.
o Baby needs: nappies, food, and formula
o Sanitary products; Toilet paper, Nappies, feminine hygiene items
o Batteries, candles, lighters, matches,
o Boxes

· For full details of how you can help the volunteer led feeding scheme for those affected by the Christchurch earthquake please go to
o www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rangiora-Earthquake-Express


Background
Rangiora Earth Quake Express was set up on the 23rd February 2011. Brendan Malone of Rangiora went on air asking if locals could fill water bottles and take them in to the Chevier centre in Rangiora. At the same time Jayne Rattray project manager and Ben Walker of Helicontrax organized their resources to start flying in food. Assisted by Fiona Parkes they joined forces with Brendan Malone to fly goods in. They took to the air funding the helicopters themselves.

The two Helicontrax helicopters were flying into the South Eastern suburbs of Christchurch: Wainoni, Bexley and Brighton for the past 4 days. These are the areas that the local police have identified as the worst hit suburbs.

The express is now running as a Road Train and we now have 150 personnel including the police on the ground distributing food, water, and other essentials to those people most in need of food.