Sir Mark Dunajtschik, of Wellington, KNZM, for services to philanthropy
Sir Mark Dunajtschik has contributed to a range of philanthropic causes and charities for more than 40 years. Sir Mark helped found a helicopter rescue service in Wellington in the mid-1970s, the precursor to the Westpac Helicopter rescue service, and financed the service for 10 years. In 2017 he donated $53 million to build and gift a new children’s hospital to Capital and Coast District Health Board. He has pledged between $50 to 60 million to replace Te Whare Ahuru Mental Health Centre in the Hutt Valley. In 2019, he donated $2 million to Hōhepa Homes for intellectually disabled children to purchase land to expand their operation in Kāpiti and has contributed significantly to the purchase of further houses for a Trust in Belmont. He is a founding member of the Michael Fowler Centre and donor to the Wellington Free Ambulance. He funded the establishment of the Mark Dunajtschik Chair of Sustainable Energy at Victoria University of Wellington, a commitment of $2 million. Sir Mark has supported CCS Disability Action for many years and has made significant donations to Sport New Zealand and the Graeme Dingle Foundation, and is Patron of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association.