Wish Upon a Star at Bethlehem Town Centre
We often hear about shopping centers making donations to charities, but our favorite examples are shopping centers that both involve the community in choosing a charity, and that reward charities that serve their communities.
New Zealand’s Bethlehem Town Centre held just such a competition that brought shoppers and charities together for a wintery celebration of giving. The Wish Upon a Star campaign offered shoppers the chance to enter a ballot for themselves and for a charity of their choice for each purchase they made at the shopping center between July 26th and August 1st. One of the nominated charities would receive a $5000 donation from the shopping center, and one winning shopper would take home a $1000 gift card.
Charity representatives had to be on-hand at the live prize drawing to be chosen for the donation, and hundreds of people came out to celebrate. Otumoetai Primary School in Tauranga recieved the $5000 cheque, while a local pie maker offered free pies to the crowd to keep them happy and warm.
Bethlehem Town Centre Manager, David Hamilton believes the competition was very successful. ‘Wish Upon a Star’ has helped remind locals that the Bethlehem Town Centre is a community-focused centre’. ‘It’s great to be able to provide a local charity with funds they need and are struggling to raise themselves’.
