Pōhutukawa blooms with meaning in Child Cancer Foundation’s 2025 Tea Towel Fundraiser

This November, Child Cancer Foundation is once again inviting Kiwis to bring meaning and heart into their homes with the launch of its annual tea towel fundraiser, featuring a beautiful new pōhutukawa-inspired design.

Now in its fourth year, the limited-edition tea towels have become a cherished tradition for many families – each design carrying deep symbolism that honours children diagnosed with cancer and those who have sadly passed away.

The 2025 design celebrates the pōhutukawa flower – a beloved emblem of Kiwi Christmas and a powerful symbol of resilience, growing in some of Aotearoa’s harshest environments. In te ao Māori, the pōhutukawa is also a symbol of remembrance, representing those who have journeyed on.

This year’s design includes 200 leaves for each child diagnosed with cancer in the past year and 23 flowers in memory of the children who have passed away.

“Every week, four families in New Zealand face the devastating news their child has cancer,” says Monica Briggs, Chief Executive of Child Cancer Foundation.

“The pressure on families is enormous, and with referrals up for Child Cancer Foundation’s services this year, our support is needed more than ever. From petrol vouchers and counselling to respite care, holiday homes and peer connection, we provide a lifeline during their darkest days. None of this would be possible without the kindness and generosity of Kiwis who get behind our tea towel fundraiser and other fundraising efforts.”

Since first launching in 2022, the tea towels have become a sell-out success, loved for their beauty, meaning, and purpose. 100% of proceeds go directly towards supporting children with cancer and their families – ensuring no Kiwi child faces cancer alone.

Child Cancer Foundation is the only organisation in New Zealand providing personalised, one-to-one support for every child diagnosed with cancer and their family. The charity currently walks alongside more than 1,500 families nationwide, offering emotional, practical, and financial support throughout their toughest times.

With no direct government funding, Child Cancer Foundation must raise $6.5 million each year to continue its vital work – relying entirely on the generosity of everyday New Zealanders.

How to support:

· Purchase your tea towel from 1pm, Friday 7th November at childcancer.org.nz/shop

· Gift them for Christmas or hang them with pride at home – every tea towel helps support Kiwi kids with cancer

To learn more or donate, visit childcancer.org.nz.