OPINION: I am absolutely blown away by the generosity of ordinary, everyday Kiwis.
I'm also proud of just how humble Kiwis are with their giving - we're not showy or boastful about it.
You may have heard last week I did a 36-hour talkathon to raise money for Child Cancer Foundation.
Well, now I am able to tell you just how much we raised - the grand total.
Child Cancer Foundation does incredible work supporting families who've got kids battling cancer - they provide a support person, counselling and a lifeline to the mums and dads who are going through the biggest challenge of their lives.
And the kids - the kids are special. They face more adversity in the first few years of their lives than the rest of us in the entirety of ours.
Child Cancer Foundation doesn't get any Government funding for this work. None.
They need $6 million every year to keep going.
This is why I am so proud of the Kiwis who donated to our Talkathon: Someone donated $13, another $7.50 - this means they gave what they could afford. There was also an anonymous donation of $10,000 dropped in; no name, no kudos needed.
In the past week, donations have still been coming in and the tally has been climbing. I'm delighted to say Child Cancer Foundation is getting a cheque from New Zealand for $378,138.79.
Each year, we give about $1.5 billion in personal donations to charities and charitable organisations - and rarely do we ever put our name to these donations.
This says something about us as a country and it's something I'm incredibly proud of.
Thank you!
Ryan Bridge is filling in for Duncan Garner on The AM Show.
