Christmas may be over but the gifts keep coming at the Otago Community Hospice.
The Otago Daily Times' Help the Hospice campaign officially ended on Monday, with a grand total of $304,000.
But donations continue to flow in and the total has now passed the $320,000 mark.
About 30 Dunedin Maori business people contributed $3379.15 to the campaign after Ngai Tahu member and KTKO Ltd chairman Edward Ellison sent an email to all his Maori contacts in the community.
"The hospice is used by many Maori - it's well known to us. This is an opportunity for us to give something back for all the support the hospice has given our people over the years," Mr Ellison said.
"It's such a fabulous facility and they do a tremendous job for people who need help."
Another $5000 was donated by Forsyth Barr.
Dunedin manager John Gallaher said the financial service company had supported, and would continue to support, Otago community initiatives.
"We've got a lot to thank the Otago and Dunedin community for and we see this as a way of putting something back into our local community.
"We really do support the philosophy of the community hospice. We're hugely impressed with the work they do and we want to make sure it continues."
A further $10,000 was contributed by donors who declined to comment.
They were P.Duncan ($500), B. and T.Lloyd ($5000), Advertising and Art Otago ($2000), Clements and Stephens ($1000), R.Pettigrew ($1000) and Aotea Electric Southern ($500).
Hospice chief executive Ginny Green said staff at the hospice were "shell-shocked" by the continuing generosity of the Otago community.
"There's still people thinking about us, despite the economic conditions at the moment. It's wonderful and we're really excited about heading into 2009."
Ms Green gave special thanks to the ODT and said she felt privileged the paper thought enough of the hospice's plight to "put their hands up and help us in a really tangible way".
"Because of this campaign, our profile has never been higher in the community."
The campaign total now stands at $322,379.15.
