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Jayden Halliwell will detonate Christchurch's 14 storey Radio Network House on Sunday morning. - Source: ONE News
Naylor Love's Bill Johnson stands in front of the Radio Network building - Source: Fairfax -
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A six-year-old Queenstown cancer patient has been chosen as the first person ever in New Zealand to blow up a high-rise building.
Jayden Halliwell will detonate Christchurch's 14 storey Radio Network House on Sunday morning after being chosen by the winners of a Trade Me auction.
*The implosion will be live streamed on onenews.co.nz at at 8am on August 5.
Jayden's mum, Justine Halliwell told ONE News: "It's a memory he'll have for life sort of thing. His brothers will be jealous."
Jayden, who was diagnosed with cancer four weeks ago, can sum up the experience in one word - "cool".
Justine said Jayden is undergoing chemotherapy and then will have an operation in another week or two to remove his kidney.
At 8am on Sunday he is due to hit the button which will trigger 63kgs of explosives, and 7.7 seconds later he will have reduced Radio Network House to rubble.
Eight demolition companies joined forces and won the opportunity to initiate the implosion of the building.
Placing bids under the username Demo Man 3, the group of demolition companies won the Trade Me auction with a $26,000 bid.
The demolition companies are Christchurch's - Shilton and Brown Demolition; March Construction; D Construction; Dormer Construction; Pro Tranz Contracting; Clampet Developments; and Auckland's Ward Demolition.
The auction winners passed the opportunity to detonate the explosives on to the Child Cancer Foundation, who then nominated Jayden to push the button.
Jim Shilton, one of the winning bidders, told ONE News that the group was "happy to give a little bit back to the community".
"And we're really looking forward to seeing Jayden push the button," Shilton said.
Robin Furley from the Child Cancer Foundation said: "He's one of the children who's out of the ward and that's one of the big things.
"And boys generally like blowing things up so we thought it would be a fun thing to do."
Bidding for the right to detonate the explosives and bring the earthquake-damaged building down went live on July 24, starting with a $1 reserve.
Naylor Love and Ceres New Zealand, who are responsible for the demolition, say that funds raised by the auction will go towards the restoration of the Isaac Theatre Royal in Gloucester St, central Christchurch.
According to the Trade Me website, the Government will also match every dollar raised by the auction, with the money raised going towards similar restoration projects.