A bid to relive the community spirit, hi-jinks and inter-town competitiveness of telethons of the past will get underway across the country this weekend with the Super Saturday Vaxathon.
More than 120 extra vaccination sites will be open for tomorrow's 'Super Saturday' event. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Up and down the country vaccination clinics will be open - as well as pop up locations, with many offering freebies, entertainment and food to try and bump up Aotearoa's vaccination rates.
Telethons of old were all about bringing together the community to raise funds and tomorrow's Super Saturday Vaxathon endeavours to bring together the community to give vaccination numbers a much needed boost.
One of the organisers of the event, Tamati Sheppard-Wipiiti from the Ministry of Health, said the event was inspired by inter-marae sport days, known as Pa Wars.
Sheppard-Wipiiti said they had been working on the idea for weeks.
They wanted to make use of people's love of working together and competing against each other, he said.
Organisers would be encouraging people to stick to social distancing requirements, but also create a fun atmosphere.
"We're in level 2 and we're in level 3. So we've had to issue guidelines about how you're going to do that safely in terms of the vaxathon," Sheppard-Wipiiti said.
"We're trying to figure out how do we do the conga in the Avalon TV studios a metre and a half, two metres, apart. Yeah it's going to be challenged, but we've got this."
DHBs, health providers and community groups in small towns and big cities are helping put on events.
Health provider Tui Ora is putting on events in Waitara and in Moturoa in New Plymouth.
"Tomorrow's going to be a really exciting point for this journey of Covid in Aotearoa" - Andrew Slater, the chief executive of Whakarongorau Aotearoa - which runs Healthline
Tui Ora head of communications Bianca Ruakere said people getting vaccinated were helping themselves and their community.
In Waitara there would be free coffee, free sausage sizzle and anybody who got vaccinated there got a $20 New World voucher, Ruakere said.
"They are also going to be making donations to the Waitara Food Bank $20 for every vaccination that gets done at that clinic tomorrow. We've also got some draws for grocery hampers and 12 to 18 year olds can go in the draw to win a UE Boom."
Tui Ora's clinic in New Plymouth will have a live DJ, bacon and egg fry bread giveaways and more $20 supermarket vouchers.
East Christchurch has some of the lowest vaccination rates in Christchurch, and Eastgate Mall health provider The Loft manager Kate O'Grady is hoping they can lift those numbers this weekend.
"As part of (vaccination campaign) 90 percent for Canterbury, the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce have donated a Rollick'in Gelato van. We've also got Mitre 10 barbecue coming down. We've got the Black Thunders who are going to be out in the main carpark. There's a big bouncy castle. We've got loads of prizes to give away."
In Queenstown people can get vaccinated while enjoying a view of Lake Wakatipu aboard the Earnslaw on Saturday.
Queenstown has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, but Stephen England-Hall said they wanted to help encourage the remaining few.
"They'll board the vessel. They'll get the vaccination and then they'll head upstairs to the promenade deck where they can receive a free barista coffee from the Earnslaw crew while they under go observation.
"At the end of that they get the chance to have a tour of the vessel, if they wish to, while she's tied up. Then on the way out of the boat, back to the wharf, they can spin the wheel and be in to win some trips or treats."
In Auckland the Super Saturday attractions will include TV and sports stars, Mr Whippy trucks, free coffee and food, spot prizes and dress ups.
With Auckland still under alert level 3 restrictions and new cases popping up every day, Auckland Vaccination programme clinical operations lead Dr Sarah Hartnell said special care had been taken to make sure the events were safe.
"Some of our focus for our activities are outside always," Hartnell said.
"So that's the first important thing that we've sort of made clear. Distancing is really, really important. Particularly if there is food and drink around really need to be tight and careful on keeping people in their bubbles and distanced appropriately."
However, the events, entertainment and enticements were not evenly spread around the country, and Federated Farmer's Southland sharemilkers chairperson Jason Herrick did not think it would be of much use for farmers.
It was a particularly busy time of year, he said.
"We're calving and in mating in particular on dairy farms and there's a lot of sheep farmers lambing at the moment so you know, in arable guys have flat out trying to put crops in the ground. So time away from farmers is precious time at this time of year so they might be feeling the pressures from all angles on whether they can get off farm to get it done."
Information about local events is available on the Ministry of Health website and local DHB websites.