Southland Charity Hospital has partnered with an Invercargill-based bank to allow people to make in-person donations.
The hospital is the dream of late cancer care advocate Blair Vining. Photo: Facebook / Screenshot
The hospital is the dream of late cancer care advocate Blair Vining who died last October with bowel cancer.
It began selling supporter's bricks - which can be engraved with a personal message - to form the path from the hospital's carpark to its door and commemorative plaques for its memorial garden in exchange for donations.
The hospital's first ever Buy a Brick Day last week met its initial fundraising goal of $1 million.
More than 7000 bricks and 280 commemorative plaques have been sold during its Buy a Brick campaign including sales from Norway, the United States and Australia.
The hospital's media and communications manager, Alana Dixon-Calder, said it had partnered with SBS Bank to ensure anyone who was keen to donate to the campaign was able to.
"The public response to our Buy A Brick campaign has been off-the-charts: the whole team has been blown away by the number of people who have wanted to get involved and support our cause," she said.
"We say the hospital is by the community, for the community, and our Buy A Brick campaign has been the epitome of that. People have really responded to the idea of being part of a lasting tribute to the community support that has turned the charity hospital from an idea to a reality."
SBS Bank chief executive Shaun Drylie said anyone could visit a branch around the country to donate via cash or cheque directly to the campaign.
"And we haven't limited it just to our Invercargill, Windsor and Gore branches - if there are Southlanders living in the likes of Tauranga, Christchurch, Hamilton or wherever one of our branches is, then they're able to show their support. This is an ongoing commitment for SBS Bank and something we'll offer long-term - if people want to make a donation in person then we'll be able to make it happen," he said.