Members of the public donated nearly 30,000 gifts to the Salvation Army's annual wishing tree appeal.
The K-Mart Wishing Tree, the nation's largest gift appeal, received just over 28,000 gifts this year for struggling families, up 6000 from last year.
The Salvation Army's spokesperson, Major Robert Ross, said he is grateful for the generosity of New Zealanders, who gave despite the economic recession.
In the last 13 years, the tree appeal has collected more than 173,000 gifts for New Zealanders in need, and last year it distributed 22,998.
