Community pharmacy retailer, Chemist Warehouse, has raised over a million dollars for Kiwi Charites since 2022. Their recent charity efforts raised more than $435,000 throughout the Super Rugby Pacific 2024 Season as part of the Chemist Warehouse Super Charity Five Campaign. Donations were collected in-store, online and at selected games between March 21st – May 19th, 2024.

This is the third year the campaign has run, with the aim to raise much needed funds and awareness for five chosen Kiwi Charities, in partnership with Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders. Over the three-year period, Chemist Warehouse has raised a whopping $1,004,003.

With the support of local suppliers and customers in communities across the country, Chemist Warehouse have raised $93,361.28 for Gumboot Friday, $82,023.18 for the Blues Charitable Trust, $83,819.54 for Life Flight, $90,069.08 for I AM HOPE, and $86,370.98 for Southern Charity Hospital.

The five chosen beneficiaries conduct vital work within the New Zealand community:

• Blues Charitable Trust: The organisation focuses on guiding and assisting youth who are at a crossroads in life and have been identified by their secondary schools as emerging leaders with great potential. Funding goes towards providing ‘Leadership & Career Coaching’ to build confidence, self-awareness, career pathways, resilience to overcoming life’s challenges, and courage to inspire participants to reach their full unique potential within the community.
• Gumboot Friday: Gumboot Friday is a free counselling service for any young person in New Zealand aged 25 and under. An overworked, underfunded, and under resourced public mental health service has led to excruciatingly long wait times for young people needing immediate help. Gumboot Friday’s free counselling platform provides a bridge to Rangatahi in need by breaking down the barriers of cost and wait times.
• Life Flight: Provides an emergency air ambulance and rescue helicopter service that operates out of Wellington and reaches nationwide. Every six hours, they’re called to a medical emergency, and over the past 40 years, they’ve helped over 40,000 people. With your support, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and Air Ambulance Planes are ready to respond in times of need.
• I AM HOPE: I AM HOPE’s main goal is positive societal attitudinal change. I AM HOPE know youth struggle with distressing self-talk and overthinking, leaving them feeling isolated and alone. When we show them these thoughts are universal, we can give our kids a better life.​Therefore I AM HOPE work to fund and deliver mental health education in language they understand, from people they can relate to.
• Southern Charity Hospital: After his diagnosis in 2018, Founder Blair Vining was told he had weeks to live, but chronic under-resourcing of the health service in Southern region meant he was unlikely to see a specialist before cancer took his life. With funding, the hospital charity aims to provide free services to those in the southern half of New Zealand who are unable to access care through the public or private health systems.

Mike King, Founder of Gumboot Friday highlights how important this money is for our youth.

"We are immensely grateful for the continued support from Chemist Warehouse; they have been a beacon of light, giving hope to Kiwi kids. I’d also like to thank the Gallagher Chiefs for embracing mental health and showing that Super Rugby is not just about footy. Their commitment enables us to provide 450 young New Zealanders with free counselling. This initiative highlights that community support extends far beyond business—it’s about genuinely uplifting our youth," King said.

Grant Elliott, Partnerships Manager of Life Flight, said:

“Together with Hurricanes and Chemist Warehouse, the effort has enabled us to save over 20 lives and keeps our team flying 24/7”, said Grant Elliot.

Rob Woodley, GM Blues Charitable Trust believes every youth deserves a chance at achieving greatness and these funds will make this possible. 

“In a challenging economic season, this most generous donation through Chemist Warehouse is “an absolute game changer” for our Blues Charitable Trust. We will now be able to empower more youth (300 plus) at the cross-roads and grow our Leadership & Career follow up program into more schools (30 plus schools) throughout the Blues region, including South Auckland up to Northland. We are so grateful!” Woodley said.

Mike Kerr Commercial Manager from Highlanders Rugby Club, said:

“It is fantastic to have a commercial partner that priorities social reasonability, as this gives us the opportunity to help support charities in our community. The Southern Charity Hospital are going to be doing such important work for the people of our region that need it the most and we look forward to seeing it open soon.”

Colin Mansbridge, Crusaders CEO, said:  

“We’re proud of our partnership with Chemist Warehouse and the work we do together to raise funds for those in our communities who need it the most.” 

Chemist Warehouse New Zealand CEO Azman Haroon expressed the company's deep appreciation for the vital role charities play in communities nationwide, affirming their commitment to ongoing support for local charities in the future.

“Chemist Warehouse is committed to providing everyday health and wellness solutions to all of Aotearoa, community and family are engrained in our DNA. Each year we look at ways that we can effectively support and raise money for charities across the community and we are proud to work alongside the five chosen 2024 charities who are making a huge difference to everyday New Zealanders,” Haroon said.

To see more about the Chemist Warehouse Super Rugby charity drive, watch the official video here.

Chemist Warehouse now has 50 stores in New Zealand and employs more than 270 pharmacists nationwide.