A delegation from a New Zealand firm that produces the popular breakfast cereal Weetbix has gifted bedsheets for public hospitals and sporting equipment to more than 20 schools this week. 

A team of 60 staff from the Sanitarium Health and Wellbeing Company in New Zealand donated goods worth NZD$20,000 during their brief visit to Samoa.  

The Sales and Marketing team for Sanitarium hasn’t had their marketing conference taken overseas for more than a decade and Samoa was the first place they chose to have it in. 

The National Marketing Manager for Sanitarium in New Zealand, Peter Davis said they saw an opportunity to give out goodwill gifts during their sales and marketing conference in Samoa. 

Sanitarium is owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Church and upon arrival, they were assisted by Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Samoa to carry out community work. 

On Thursday morning the Sanitarium team together with the ADRA Samoa group led by Sua Julia Wallwork met with 400 students from 25 different schools. 

The students enjoyed a Weetbix breakfast courtesy of Sanitarium and each school received sporting material worth NZD$10,000. 

Mr. Davis said they hope the sports equipment and other items will be useful and encourage kids to be active. 

Later on the same day, the group met with the Minister of Health, Valasi Tafito Selesele and Director General of Health, Aiono Dr. Alec Ekeroma to donate 1000 bedsheets for hospitals in Samoa. The linen was procured by Sanitarium at a cost of NZD$10,000 including freight. 

“Again it's part of our conference just a small gesture of goodwill for the incredible welcome we had seen since been here,” said Mr. Davis. 

“For our team, it's a demonstration of how we always put community, as part of our programs whenever we have business in a country or area we always want to be part of that community and solution of health and wellbeing of that community.”

The total value of the goodwill donation from Sanitarium was NZD$20,000 which does not include food and other miscellaneous items gifted to the 400 students. 

Mr. Davis acknowledged the help of ADRA Samoa particularly Sua noting they would not have been able to do it without the local involvement. 

The Minister of Health in receiving the donation thanked Sanitarium and Sua for the bed linens. He asked the organisations, which are part of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, to keep their doors open as the district hospitals need a lot of assistance. 

The Director General of Health also expressed his appreciation for the goodwill shown by the Sanitarium company employees, saying the bedsheets will greatly assist the hospital's patients as families will no longer have to bring linen when they are admitted.

He said it is a requirement for families to bring their own bedsheets to the hospitals.