Rainbow Youth is declining to be drawn into the controversy surrounding the proportion of TVNZ's Dancing with the Stars phone voting proceeds extracted for administration costs. Yesterday's Sunday News revealed that Telecom, Vodafone and a vote-tallying company between them absorbed 40% of the money generated by gay TV presenter Tamati Coffey's win. Rainbow youth is to receive approximately $260,000 after Coffey nominated the glbt youth peer support organisation as his charity for the highly-rated TV series. However, telephone voters trying to boost Coffey's chances of a win and support Rainbow Youth actually grossed over $428,000. "As a not for profit organisation trying to better people's lives we would have been grateful to have received even $500," says Rainbow Youth Executive Director Thomas Hamilton. "Tamati and dance partner Samantha did a lot of promotional work and had a true passion for Rainbow Youth, they really got behind the organisation." Of the difference between money donated and money passed on Hamilton says Rainbow Youth is fully aware that "there is a process involved, but we're not the people to comment on that." The Upside Down Trust, which received just over $99,000 from second place-getter Barbra Kendall's efforts, was surprised to hear that $65,000 had gone on costs. "That money could have funded ten years of speech therapy for two Downs Syndrome children," a spokesperson for the Trust told the Sunday News.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 17th August 2009 - 5:21pm