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Social media campaign in remembrance of 2011 ChCh earthquake
Mon, 15th Feb 2016
FYI, this story is more than a year old

A new campaign is underway in remembrance of the fifth anniversary of the February 22nd 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

The campaign is sponsored by Becky Siame, founder of Get Behind It, a social media tool. “Supporters donate space on their social media walls (Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr) to share an important one-time message, which is sent out en masse on their news feeds at a specific time,” Siame explains.

“The goal is to get a hashtag to trend quickly.

Siame is aiming for one million Kiwis to post the message, “Let's stand united with Christchurch. Kia kaha Christchurch! We will not forget,” at exactly 12:51p.m on 22 February.

Siame joins the movement started in 2012 by Christchurch design tutor and artist Henry Sunderland, encouraging Kiwis to remember Christchurch by placing flowers in traffic cones.

“I was moved to start an online version of this concept,” Siame explains. “I'm asking people to pledge a message of support to be posted on their social media walls which includes a photo of flowers in road cones.

“And on Feb 22nd that same message will be blasted throughout all of New Zealand reaching millions of people all around the world,” she says.

“The Canterbury earthquakes and the last five years have been traumatic, stressful and life-changing,” Siame says.

“Whilst Christchurch has regrouped and its community become stronger and more resilient than ever, its streets, businesses and homes are still being rebuilt.

“Get Behind It's Christchurch campaign on 22 February 2016 honours this great city,” she says.

People who want to join the campaign can go to getbehindit.nz/christchurch.