The Blues and LEGO New Zealand Launch Aspiring ‘Fill The Bus’ Food Drive, Aiming for 50,000 Items
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The Blues rugby team is partnering with LEGO New Zealand to relaunch the “Fill the Bus” initiative this November, building on the success of its 2024 campaign and aiming to provide crucial support to families in need across Auckland and Northland this Christmas.
The annual food drive, which saw extraordinary community engagement, gathering almost double the initial goal of 30,000 items and attracting over 500 fans to a community day at Blues HQ.
A Region United in Giving
The 2024 campaign demonstrated the power of collective action, with schools, rugby clubs, and businesses throughout the Blues region playing a vital role in the collection and distribution process. According to a team representative,last year’s response was a testament to the generosity of the community. “We were blown away by how our community rallied behind Fill The bus last year,” thay stated. “Seeing us smash our goal… reminded us why we do this.”
This year, the ambition is even greater. The Blues are challenging their community to “Fill The Bus” with a target of 50,000 food items, leveraging the team’s platform to maximize impact.
How to Get Involved
From November 4th, organizations across the region are encouraged to establish collection points for food donations. The campaign will culminate in a community event on December 4th at Blues HQ, offering fans a unique opportunity to contribute directly. The event will feature an open pre-season training session, player meet-and-greets, and engaging activations, alongside the central focus of filling the LEGO Blues Bus.
Donations collected will be distributed thru four trusted community partners: The village Community Trust (West Auckland),South Seas (South Auckland),Love Soup (Hibiscus Coast),and Whakaora Kai (Northland). This network ensures that support reaches families across the entire Blues region.
Key Partnerships and Community Support
Barfoot & Thompson, a major partner, is once again mobilizing its 45 branches across Auckland and Northland to support the initiative. Additionally, ritchies is generously providing a bus and driver for the collection day, ensuring the logistical needs of the campaign are met.
Schools and rugby clubs will be instrumental in the drive, operating collection points throughout November. The Blues team will also visit select schools to express gratitude to students and foster a spirit of kind competition.
For those unable to contribute food items, an online donation option is available, with all funds directly supporting the four partner charities.
2024 ‘Fill The Bus’ – At a Glance
- 50,000+ food items donated
- 500+ attendees at Blues HQ community day
- 20 schools engaged (15 visited)
- 3 rugby clubs, 6 supermarkets involved
- 46 Blues players (Men & nib Blues Women) volunteering
- 45 Barfoot & Thompson branches participating
- 17 community activations delivered
“The need is still there,” a senior official stated. “And if we can use the Blues platform to help even one more family this Christmas, that’s a win for us all.”
For a comprehensive list of collection points and details about the December 4th community day, visit www.blues.rugby/fill-the-bus. The LEGO Fill The Blues Bus Event Day at Blues HQ will be held on Wednesday, december 4th, from 8:45 am to 12:30 pm, offering a chance to drop off donations and connect with blues players.
