Dancing With The Stars NZ: Champion Sam Hayes and runner-up Chris Harris raised $200,000 for disabled charities

  • 22/09/2018

More than $200,000 was raised for charities helping people with disabilities during Dancing With The Stars, almost half the total amount raised.

During the reality show, more than $424,000 was raised in total as fans voted for their favourite celebrity to progress through the rounds. It was more than five times the amount raised during the last season in 2015.

This year Newshub's Sam Hayes was crowned the victor, supporting her charity NZ Riding For The Disabled (NZRDA) - and now the amount she raised has been revealed.

Hayes' efforts earned more than $120,000 for NZRDA, with almost a third of votes cast across the season.

"Along with their families and our RDA volunteers, our riders were hugely excited to follow and support Sam and [dance partner] Aaron [Gilmore]'s dancing journey, and they were very proud to receive such fantastic support on prime-time TV," NZRDA chief executive Chris Hooper said in a statement.

"We can't thank Sam and Aaron enough."

Hayes said she was stunned and thrilled by the money raised.

"I'm a proud supporter of NZRDA and I'm so, so happy Aaron and I have been able to raise this money for the work they do in the community for people with disabilities," she said.

Mr Hooper said the charity will be putting the cash towards a special "long-lasting" project.

"We definitely want to focus on something that will help us to reach more riders and change more lives."

Former Blackcap Chris Harris came in second place, supporting Christchurch's Conductive Education. It raised $87,000 during the show, its national co-ordinator Sally Thomas confirmed to Newshub.

"We were totally blown away, I was in shock actually, I couldn't believe it," she said.

"Initially when we first got into this we thought it would be great to get $20,000, then when [Harris] was in it right until the end I thought 'gosh we might get up to 50', but to get 40,000 just about more than that, we were just amazed and so grateful."

Ms Thomas added she was "thrilled" to see money go to NZRDA too as a lot of people who attend Conductive Education also work with NZRDA.

"It's been a win-win for people with disabilities it's just been fantastic," she said.

While MediaWorks has publicised the total amount raised, it's been up to the charities whether they wish to reveal how much was raised individually.

Kidsline confirmed on Thursday that they raised more than $50,000, with its celebrity - ACT MP David Seymour - also donating his appearance fee to the charity.

As a member of Parliament, Mr Seymour was unable to profit from his appearance on the show and publicly announced he was donating the pay early in the season.

Newshub.