Student volunteers who helped in the clean-up after New Zealand experienced their worst earthquake in 80 years have been rewarded with tickets to a sold-out Metallica gig.

Canterbury University student Sam Johnson set up a Facebook page calling students to volunteer in the quake clean-up.

Last week more than 2000 students took to the streets with wheelbarrows and shovels.
About 100 of them went to Kaiapoi each day, one of the hardest-hit areas, to work alongside the New Zealand Army.

On their biggest day - last Thursday - 906 student volunteers got stuck in, shoveling silt and sand from streets and homes.

Mr. Johnson said the army of student volunteers had "changed so many people's lives and given them hope".
Metallica has two sold-out concerts at CBS Canterbury arena next week but in wake of the devastating earthquake on September 4 the band and promoter wanted to help.

They had donated about 300 suite tickets for the student volunteers and emergency services to attend the concert.

"It's brilliant, it's very cool. It's really nice to be able to thank the volunteers for their hard work," Mr. Johnson said, though he admitted that deciding who would get to go would be tough.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said it was a generous offer and sent a great message to the hundreds of people who had worked thousands of hours getting the city back up and running.

The feedback about the student army has been heart-warming.

"Students and people from all walks of life lined up side by side just doing what needed to be done."
"Metallica is a once in a lifetime experience and these students and another 60 from the emergency services will remember this for the rest of their lives."