Young Writers to Raise More than a Penny for Their Thoughts

Storybook competition entrants are working towards the chance to become published authors and raise $30,000 for Starship

Local primary and intermediate students are putting their young minds to work for a good cause as part of Barfoot & Thompson’s Magic of Reading Storybook Competition.

Classes from schools all around Auckland and Northland are vying for the once in a lifetime opportunity to become published writers, and then sell their book to raise funds for the Starship Foundation.

“The children participating in our Storybook Competition can make a profound contribution towards helping other young New Zealanders,” says Peter Thompson, Managing Director of Barfoot & Thompson.

“Our past winning classes have helped Barfoot & Thompson raise a combined $60,000 for Starship.”

Previous titles, Room 22 and Jumbo, the Monster Caterpillar, by the inaugural winners from Colwill School in West Auckland, and The Weather Fish by the 2009 winners from Ahipara School, each helped raise $30,000.  The funds have been used towards the purchase of a cardiac ultrasound machine for the Starship Heart Unit.

More than 150 classes of children from 5 to 13 years old have now entered the 2010 competition and are currently developing their story ideas – complete with detailed characters, settings, plots and conflicts to resolve.

The winning class will also receive the help of some well-known New Zealanders to develop their book.  Renowned children’s author John Parker will workshop with the students to polish their idea into a completed manuscript, while rugby legend and amateur artist Keven Mealamu will bring the story to life through his illustrations.

Once published, the books are sold at local Barfoot & Thompson branches, with every cent benefitting the Starship Foundation.

Mr Thompson says that having the support of more than 150 teachers around the regions is also a testament to the benefits the competition provides inside the classroom.

“Through the Storybook Competition, children learn to harness their creativity and develop their idea into a full storybook using the same techniques accomplished authors do.

“Our hope is that the experience will help improve their reading and writing skills and foster a life-long love for books.”

As part of Barfoot & Thompson’s Magic of Reading programme, copies of the book will also be given to children who stay overnight in Starship or the Whangarei Children’s Ward.

Entries are due to Barfoot & Thompson by 9 April, with a winner announced in early May. For more information visit www.barfoot.co.nz/storybook.

ENDS

Barfoot & Thompson knows Auckland best.  It is the city’s leading real estate company, selling around one in three Auckland residential homes, significantly ahead of all other competitor brands.

The Magic of Reading programme is fully funded by Barfoot & Thompson and sees 15,000 books put in the hands of Startship patients each year.

Keven Mealamu is Barfoot & Thompson’s Sponsorship Ambassador. As well as being a talented rugby player, Keven is also a keen amateur artist.

John Parker is one of New Zealand’s best known authors, having written nearly 130 books for children ranging from picture-books to novels for teens. 
For further information, contact Peter Thompson, Barfoot & Thompson, telephone
09 307 5523 or 027 453 5931.  www.barfoot.co.nz

Released on behalf of Barfoot & Thompson by Network PR (Megan Hopkins-Stone), telephone 09 306 5802. www.networkpr.co.nz