The title was completed within days of the 4 September earthquake by staff of The Star newspaper and other divisions of APN.

The title was printed on quality 60gsm stock and has been subject to four runs It. It is priced at NZ$5, with money going to the Mayoral Appeal managed by the Red Cross.

The first 20,000 copies were sold within three hours, and a second 20,000 run produced at Christchurch also promptly sold out. A subsequent larger run at Ellerslie was then organised for the South Island, with distribution via the Progressive Supermarket stores in the North Island.

APN funded the paper and labour costs for the first two runs, with costs for subsequent editions funded by the Mayor’s office. APN had also earlier announced a separate donation of NZ$100,000 to the appeal.

After the third editionwas produced, a local Christchurch woman – who asked to remain anonymous — approached management of The Star and offered to fund another print run. It is understood the unnamed benefatcor felt she could raise more money via the publication than by making a personal donation.

APN New Zealand regional newspapers chief Rick Neville said the success of Earthquake demonstrated the remarkable lasting power of print.

“After all the hundreds of hours of live television coverage, endless radio bulletins and wall-to-wall website coverage, people demonstrated in their thousands an urge to buy this publication, contribute to the appeal and have something for themselves and future generations to keep,” he says.

The earthquake appeal has now raised more than NZ$12m in cash and pledges to the Red Cross with over NZ$1m being paid out in emergency grants to affected people.

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