1 March Wainuiomata News

Lifesaver launches

By Frank Neill

A new national health initiative with the potential to save lives in the construction industry launched at Wainuiomata High School on 22 February.

Health15 is a new one-of-a-kind programme that brings free blood pressure tests and expert health and wellbeing advice directly to construction workers, to lower the risk of stroke among this vulnerable group.

Continued on page 2.

Kaumatua Arthur Savage leads the waiata at the national launch of Health 15.

Photo: Supplied.

How to reach us

Phone (04) 587 1660

Address 23 Broderick Rd, Johnsonville

P.O. Box 38-776, WMC 5045

Fax (04) 587 1661

ONLINE: www.wsn.co.nz

REPORTER

Frank Neill wainui@wsn.co.nz

027 490 3916

Helping to spot stroke warning signs

Continued from page 1

The Stroke Foundation of New Zealand partnered with Project Managers, The Building Intelligence Group (TBIG), to develop Health 15 to help construction workers spot the early warning signs of stroke and ease an economic burden which costs the country $1.1 billion per year.

At the Wainuiomata High School launch, which began at 9:30am, guests, including the Naylor Love construction team and TBIG, received a full demonstration of the Health15 programme.

ers experience a stroke every year,” Stroke Foundation CEO Jo Lambert says.

“Long-term sick leave taken by a single employee can cost a company up to $1,000 a year, with an estimated economic price tag of $1.79 billion per year nationwide.

“The impact on peoples’ lives is immeasurable.

“Stroke can rob you of your independence – and your ability to work – in an instant. That’s why prevention is so important.

SALES

Les Whiteside les@wsn.co.nz 021 360 008

They also explored one of the Stroke Foundation’s mobile testing vans, and received a free blood pressure check.

Construction workers often work long hours, carrying out physically demanding mahi at a fast pace. This can make it hard to prioritise a healthy lifestyle or take the time to attend important health appointments.

“We know workers have busy lives, but the earlier they spot the signs of stroke, the better.

“Health15 makes it easy for workers to have their blood pressure checked by coming directly to their work sites and paying for any fees they incur in immediate follow-up medical appointments.”

NATIONAL SALES

Sam Barnes

sam@wsn.co.nz 021 109 4406

CLASSIFIED SALES classifieds@wsn.co.nz

It’s an industry where the “she’ll be alright” attitude is common, and the foundations for future long-term health conditions are laid.

Following a successful pilot event in November, 77% of guests said they learnt something new from Health15, 83% planned to make lifestyle changes based on what they learnt, and 4% had to seek immediate follow-up medical advice because of the results of their screening.

“Around 9,500 New Zealand-

“We are delighted to partner with the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand to bring this exciting new health initiative to life for construction workers across New Zealand,” TBIG project director Jamie Summers says.

“Projects are about people. It’s a core value we’ve maintained as project managers for more 30 years.

“With national coverage, TBIG is well placed to support this amazing initiative.

“As a stroke survivor with over 25-years’ experience in construction, I know the risks that come with carrying out physically

demanding work in a high stress environment, and how important it is to look after your health and wellbeing.

“The good news is 75% of strokes are preventable, which

is why Health15 is so important.

“We have a chance to save lives by reaching workers who wouldn’t usually have time to access this vital health screening,” Mr Summers says.

Intermediate School’s cyclone fundraiser

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata Intermediate School has raised $880 in cash together with half a truck load of food and supplies for communities affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The school’s fundraising initiative was celebrated at a school assembly on 24 February.

“The community was amazing,” the school’s Principal, Craig Sharp, says.

“A lot of families have wh nau in the Hawke’s Bay and up the East Coast, so it was really personal for them.”

One student, Nikita Guy, raised $127 of the $880 the school totalled.

To mark Nikita’s achievement Mr Sharp presented her with the school’s Tikanga Certificate at the school assembly.

This certificate was presented to Nikita for being the best in the school at demonstrating Wainuiomata Intermediate’s four core values over the previous two weeks.

The core values are Rangatiratanga, Kaitiakitanga, Manaakitanga and Wh naungatanga.

Nikita sold some of her belongings, including about 15 stuffed animals she had made to earn the money she put towards the fundraising for the cycleone, Nikita told the “Wainuiomata News”.

One member of the school council, Zaria Simpson, said that her class had raised $185.50 in cash.

In addition class members had donated towels, blankets, sanitary material, canned food and packets of noodles.

Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry about to have his check-up during the national launch of Health at Wainuiomata High School.

Photo: Supplied.

Wainuiomata Intermediate School’s Principal Craig Sharp and Nikita Guy with the special certificate she was presented for her outstanding fundraising contribution. Photo: Frank Neill.

Q: In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, what should the world leaders be doing about climate change?

This is too big for one country. It has to be everyone in the world on the same page.

Clean up all the driftwood from the forestry and the silt. That’s the most important thing right now. The driftwood is doing a lot more damage than people realise.

They should be doing everything. They should plant more trees. I come from the East Coast originally and a lot of people up there are doing it really hard.

The day he sparred with Mohammed Ali

By Frank Neill

Wainuiomata’s Michael Ngarotata last week marked the 44th anniversary of the day he sparred with the then World Boxing Champion Mohammed Ali.

The sparring session happened at Wellington Airport, just after Ali stepped from the plane on 23 February 1979 to visit Wellington.

A photo of the sparring session featuring Michael and Mohammed appeared in the next day’s edition of “The Dominion”. [That was before “The Dominion” merged with “The Evening Post” and became the “Dominion Post”.]

“Michael Ngarotata was singled out by the formidable Ali for a bit of exhibition boxing at Wellington Airport yesterday,” the paper said.

“It was pretty surreal,” Michael says.

At first Ali was speaking to his cousin. “Then he came over and beckoned to me and pulled me out of the crowd.

“He said: ‘I wanna meet a big black brother’.

“I went over and we had a bit of punching each other.

“I hit him twice on the left shoulder and twice on the right shoulder.

“He said ‘is that all you’ve got?’ and I said ‘no’.”

Following that exchange Michael proceeded to attempt the famous Ali shuffle right in front of the famous boxer.

“’That’s not how you do it,’ he said, and

then he did the shuffle.

“It was awesome. And all the time he was calling me ‘brother’.

“He asked me who was my favourite boxer.

“I didn’t answer that straight away and he said ‘well?’

“Then I said Ingemar Johansson, and Ali said ‘I whipped that white boy’.”

When Mohammed Ali shook Michael’s hand, Michael said “I’ve just shook the hand who shook the world” and Ali said “you’ve got it man”.

Ali also asked Michael if he had boxed and Michael replied that he had boxed but was no longer involved.

“He asked why I didn’t keep going and I said I had no one else to beat.

At one point white they were sparring, Ali said “look at that car”.

Michael turned to look, and when he turned back again Ali’s fist was millimetres from his face.

At the end of their time together both Ali and his wife said “it was a pleasure to meet you”.

“It was awesome,” Michael says of his 10 minutes or so with the champion.

When Michael later told people about the encounter, a lot of them didn’t believe him.

“I said: ‘I will show you the photo’,” and he did.

The photo is now framed and hangs proudly on the wall of Michael’s lounge.

“I’m going to get the frame carved,” he says.

“My nephew is a carver in taki.”

Country concert

The Wainuiomata Country and Western Club will be holding a concert at the Pioneer Church on Coast Road, starting at 6:30pm on Sunday 19 March.

The concert is being held as a fund-raiser for the Pioneer church.

As well as the club’s band, club members will entertain the audience.

Steady as you go

Steady as You Go falls prevention classes for senior citizens are held at 11am on Tuesdays at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

A booking is not needed, although Age

Concern asks people to give a $2 koha to help cover costs.

The classes improve balance and leg strength, flexibility, general fitness and wellbeing.

Plant more trees. Trees are the lungs of the earth. Every development should have a green area.

I am not concerned about it right now. A lot of people are but I’m not.

Everything they can. The world is not right at the moment.

Virginia Borley

Sonya Chambers

Philip McKinley Krystal Nikore

Bev Isaac

Stuart Forrest

Michael Ngarotata with the photo of him and Mohammed Ali. Photo: Frank Neill.

This week I received a book from an old friend of mine, Julia Sich which she has written and called ‘Julia’s Guide to Edible weeds and Wild Green Smoothies’. Many of you will know the ‘Weed Lady’ through her previous book and workshops. In your gardens you will likely have a number of plants we call ‘weeds’ which are of benefit to your diet and health. The definition of a ‘weed’ is simply ‘a plant that is growing where we do not want it to grow’. Many of the plants we grow for food or for their flowers; when allowed to self seed they become weeds. I recommend that you obtain a copy of Julia’s book and learn to your benefit, many of the plants you pull out, kill and compost which could be better off been cultivated and consumed. The book is available in two formats as a down load E Book or as a printed publication. The web site is https://www. juliasedibleweeds.com/ and the book is available for NZ$19.95 for the Ebook OR $34.95 plus postage for the printed version. The book gives you both the common names and the Botanical names as well as coloured pictures to assist in identification. Each weed has a written description along with its nutritional values and how to use them for your benefit. Mind you if the Government had its way it would ban the use of these natural plants and their ancient uses if favour of Big Pharma’s bottom line. (Therapeutic Products Bill) Pharmaceutical companies hate natural remedies even though many of their concoctions were originally derived from plant’s properties. If you have the knowledge such as given in Julia’s book then you can look after your own well being as our fore fathers did from all races on the planet. (And at no expense if out of the weeds in your gardens) We have to read and learn about the advantages of these plants but in Nature animals know what is best for them as far as

GARDENING THIS WEEK

WEEDS (A NEW WAY TO DEAL TO THEM) : By

their well being is concerned. For instance if you place cattle into a paddock that has a wide range of plants including weeds, the cattle will consume the ones that they need for better health beside eating a lot of grass. Which is an interesting point in so much as grass is also very good for your health and in particular, wheat grass and barley grass. That is if you apply all the known minerals and element to the growing medium. Reason is that grasses will take up all the minerals available where other plants such as tomatoes only require 56 of the known 114 mineral and elements. That is why some farmers will apply what we sell as Ocean Solids to their paddocks to the great benefit of their stock’s health.

I remember a farmer telling me one time about his practice of spraying diluted sea water over his paddocks which was much to the annoyance of his farming neighbour, because a certain amount of the sea spray would fall onto the neighbors side of the fence and when the neighbour let his stock into that paddock they would rush over to the area by the fence line and demolish the mineral rich grasses growing there.

Julia mentions ‘your’s truly’ in her book and in particular in regards to ‘Smoothies’

I presume many of you have or still do on occasions, if not regularly, go out and pick a range of greens and put them into a high speed blender with a banana and wizz up a very beneficial brew. The banana addition takes away some of the unpleasant taste of some plants and makes your drink very palatable.

Julia tells the story of how smoothies solved health issues that she once had as I found the same many years ago when I first started making smoothies from as many different plants as I could get my hands on. Some plants are nice to eat raw and have flavors that make them appealing such as salad crops. The rest including grasses are

better taken raw in a smoothie. Besides being of great benefit to your health another very good reason to find out what weeds you can eat is the unusual weather that has affected New Zealand recently. Here is a update from a Food Producer in the Hawkes Bay: ‘Hi everyone, food producer here. Just wanted to write an easily digestible post so people can understand how severe the destruction in H.B is for the whole of N.Z The media aren’t really discussing it fully and people I speak to can’t seem to wrap their heads around how serious this is for us as a country. What’s been lost: It’s called the fruit bowl for a reason, not just grapes and apples but also pears, onions, corn, carrots, blueberries, strawberries, honey, dairy, beef, sheep products including wool and also apiaries, nurseries and seedbanks. Wineries and orchards have had heritage trees and vines utterly wiped out. We’re talking 30-40-year-old plants gone. Countless bee hives and fields of

Wally Richards

crops buried under a metre of silt. These aren’t just for fresh produce but also wine, vinegar, honey, bread and processed fruit and vegetables for things from muesli bars to ice cream and condiments. The layer of silt now covering the once fertile land has been completely smothered. There’s so much cleaning up to be done before people can replant and fertilise it will take years to get back even close to normal. In that time we’ll see massive shortages of all the above, affecting almost all food items you can think of. A very apt warning and not only in NZ but also in many major food producing areas of the world, either through Floods or Droughts millions of acres of crops have been lost.. Think about that. You might want to start cultivating a few weeds for a ‘Rainy Day’. Of course as we have seen this spring and summer a lack of blue skies with nice fluffy white clouds which has also greatly affected us home gardens as well as commercial growers.

Direct sun shine is what all plants use to create carbohydrates which is the energy that makes them grow, flower and produce seeds. Hazy skies and cloud cover that prevents direct sunlight being available for plants and solar panels is a very big concern. In 2006 this matter was brought up at the United Nations and the speech about it can be heard here https://rumble.com/v256algthe-2006-u.n-councilchemtrail-presentation.html Well worth 18 minuets of your time to be better informed. (Now days they talk about ‘Planet Shading’ which would be a bit like a ‘Nuclear Winter’ no sun plants dont grow. Playing with weather or the ability to produce or prevent weather patterns is a fact and now days it is harder to determine what is natural and what is man made. If severe weather events we have experienced are not natural then a lot of people that have been badly affected would not be very happy for sure.

Matariki Awards open

By Frank Neill

Nominations for the prestigious Ng Tohu o Matariki o Te Tau 2023, Matariki Awards 2023, are now open.

Organised by Whakaata M ori (M ori Television), nominations close on 24 March.

The awards recognise achievements for the 2022 calendar year across all public, corporate, not-for-profit and social enterprise sectors in nine categories. The nine award categories are:

ori me ng Tikanga

Achievement Award

Nominations can be made by completing and submitting the nomination form on the Whakaata M ori website. To

Authorised by Chris Bishop, Parliament Buildings, Wgtn.

Shorter hospital wait times

Hutt Hospital has some good news for Wainuiomata’s senior citizens, Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen says.

“Waiting times at the hospital will be reduced,” she says.

Ms Andersen and the Minister of Health, Dr Ayesha Verrall , visited Hutt Hospital recently to learn about their initiatives to unblock the hospital so that they can get through their waiting lists faster.

“First up we visited the new Second Stage Recovery Unit with Quality Coordinator Kate Meads and Charge Nurse Pania Tuiloma,” Ms Andersen says.

“Patients will come to the unit if they are expected to need less than a day to recover from surgery.

“The new beds in the unit will mean people are less likely to be cancelled due to lack of a hospital bed. In some cases nurses will check on patients the day after they’re discharged or help with their welfare needs so that patients are safe and feel more confident about going home.”

Ms Andersen and Dr Verrall then visited a new procedure unit that will soon open for procedures under local anaesthesia. “This is great as it frees up the main theatres

for more complicated cases,” Ms Andersen says.

“It was good to hear orthopedic surgeon Ms Helen Tobin’s views about how we to get on top of waitlists.

“It seems like there are more people needing acute treatment, and that takes up beds that would otherwise be used for planned care (elective surgery).

“Clearly there is no one thing to fix this, so Te Whatu Ora are working on multiple fronts – prevention, primary care and better in hospital co-ordination.

“The development of the Unit has been led by Carolyn Braddock who celebrates 45 years of nursing and then leadership in Hutt Hospital.

“A better fitted out intensive care unit is also supporting more planned care.

“Hutt Hospital does complex surgeries including burns cases.

“The unit is a vast improvement from what I remember when I rounded here as a registrar. A number of improvements had also been made with Covid funds to ensure safe airflow. All the kit is top notch and it was great to see the nurses had the space to do their job,” Ms Andersen says.

limo_nz@hotmail.com

for hire

Carolyn Braddock, who has worked at Hutt Hospital for 45 years, with Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen (left) and Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall. Photo: Supplied.

Trades

ON... O WHAT’S

The Community Noticeboard is for non-profit organisations. For $15.00 you can publish up to 25 words. No AGMS, sporting notices or special meetings. Community Notices must be pre-paid.

Call into our office, phone (04) 587 1660 or email classifieds@wsn.co.nz

Heart Foundation

FREE session for people living with heart disease and their whanau to discuss managing stress with a heart condition. Dowse Art Museum 4 March, 10.30 – 11.45apm

Wainuiomata

Community Market

Saturday the 4th March, at the Wainuiomata Library in Queen Street, from 9am till 3pm. All welcome.

Funeral Directors

~ Pensioner Discounts ~

Love Local. Shop Local.

WANTED

Newspaper Deliverers

Deliverers required in the following areas from the 18th of January 2023:

Area 1: Parenga St, Ngaturi Gr, part of Wood St and Coast Rd - 235 papers

Area 2: Karaka St, Kowhai St, Puriri St, part of Wainuiomata Rd - 295 papers

Area 3 : Hamstead St, Kendal Gr, Enfield St, part of Wellington Rd - 220 papers

Area 4 : Ruthven Rd, Antrim Cres, Pollard St - 300 papers

Contact Sandra

Futsal at Wainuiomata High

Futsal is a fast-growing sport and Wainuiomata High School is no exception to the trend. The school’s students have embraced this sport.

Wainuiomata High School teams are currently playing at Walter Nash on Thursday and Friday nights and have so far played for two weeks.

The games play for 40 minutes and the competition runs for six weeks. The players use this as a warm-up for winter football.

Wainuiomata High School’s junior team, playing on Thursdays, tasted success in their first match.

After recording a 30-1 victory they were

put up a grade.

However the new division proved harder, and they took a loss in their second match on 23 February.

The school has three senior boys’ teams and one girls’ team in the Friday night competition.

The seniors have had some amazing victories, with scores of 19-0 and 12-3. The girls have won one and lost one match. The school’s international students love this sport, and there are five international students participating.

The main goal is fitness, participation and manaakitanga, rather than winning.

M:

E:

W R O O R C S D S

Puzzle

ACROSS

What year were sunglasses invented?

Inexpensive mass-produced sunglasses were introduced to America by Sam Foster in 1929. Foster found a ready market on the beaches of Atlantic City, New Jersey, where he began selling sunglasses under the name Foster Grant from a Woolworth on the Boardwalk.

1. Pseudoynm, nom (2-5)

5. Menorah. (11)

11. Secondary (5)

12. French country house. (7)

13. Glorify. (5)

14. Receiver. (9)

15. Refuge. (9)

16. Young kangaroo. (4)

17. Distinguish(from). (7)

19. Cook slowly. (6)

23. Feverish. (6)

26. Pack train (7)

29. Set of breeding horses. (4)

30. Actress, Farrow. (3)

32. Proper. (3)

34. Goulash (4)

35. Dcument holder, ... case.(7)

36. Cavalry soldier. (6)

39. To lie snug. (6)

40. Cowboy movie. (7)

42. Musical work. (4)

46. Fraudulent. (9)

48. Genuine. (9)

50. Highest part of road. (5)

51. Mechanic. (7)

52. Spendour. (5)

53. Exploit. (11)

54. Rapture. (7)

DOWN

1. Dispute. (5)

2. Style. (7)

3. Not mature. (6)

4. Religious assembly. (8)

5. Disorderly. (7)

6. Requires. (5)

7. Of a horse. (6)

8. Opening. (8)

9. Punctilious. (11)

10. Hornless cow. (5)

16. U.S. president(1963-69) Lyndon ...(7)

18. Extend. (5)

20. Suffers. (7)

21. Border. (3)

22. Lout. (3)

24. Butter muslin. (11)

25. U.S. spy agency(abbr) (3)

27. Lessen. (5)

28. Zero. (3)

31. Consumed. (3)

33. Sailor. (3) 37.

Solution

SOLUTION

Last Week: 22 February 2023

For November 17, 2004

Nikesh Goundar scores another goal for Wainuiomata High School. Nikesh’s team has won both its matches to date. Photo: Supplied.

Helping young Wainui netballers

SPORTS TALK

With Jacob Page

With many families feeling financial pressure, ANZ Netball Grants aims to ensure tamariki can still play netball by subsidising Wainuiomata kids’ registration fees.

ANZ is providing $100,000 in netball fee subsidies for Kiwi kids. Teams can apply directly for financial support from ANZcourtside.co.nz until entries close on 24 March.

ANZ has supported netball, from grassroots teams in the community, to the elite players in the ANZ Premiership and Silver Ferns, for 14 years.

More and more families are under financial pressure and registration

fees are one of the first barriers of entry to sport, ANZ Bank New Zealand Chief Executive Antonia Watson says

“Sport is such an important part of a child’s wellbeing and we don’t want families who might be doing it tough to miss out.

“Nothing brings Kiwi families together like weekend sport and, particularly at times of stress, it’s a great way to strengthen community spirit.

“We hope this support helps remove that financial barrier and allows everyone to continue to enjoy netball this season.”

This initiative from ANZ will make a huge difference in the com-

munity, Netball NZ CEO, Jennie Wyllie says.

“Families who might have had to sacrifice the game, can reconsider entering their child thanks to ANZ. “Future Silver Ferns and ANZ Premiership players will get their start at grassroots games across the country this season. ANZ’s support will mean every kid will have the chance to follow their dreams into the game.”

Applications for the ANZ Future Captains experience, which gives two lucky netball fans the chance to lead the stars of the ANZ Premiership onto the court at each official match, interact with the players, and experience

Ulalei debuts at Pasifika tourney

The Ulalei Sports Club entered the Pasifika Family Touch Festival for the first time this year.

Ulalei’s team was also unbeaten in the tournament, played at Hutt Park on 18 February – not that results are what the tournament kaupapa is all about.

The kaupapa is about getting the whole wh nau involved and the young ones off their devices.

One of 42 teams in the tournament, Ulalei won four of its matches and drew one.

Teams from around the lower North Island, including one from as far north as Levin, attended the touch festival.

As well as Ulalei the Wainuiomata teams included Wainuiomata Samoa Rugby League, Church of the Nazarene and Jittabugz.

The tournament was not able to be played last year because of Covid-19, so this year’s event was the eighth.

Run by the Pacific Health Service Hutt Valley, the kaupapa of the tournament is about “celebrating our Pasifika community, bringing

aiga together, promoting healthy lifestyles and quality time together.”

To that end, Hutt Park was a smokefree, junk food and fizzy drink-free zone for the day.

A team must also include one player who is under 12 years, a 40+ year old and two females, covering off the wh nau and all-inclusive

element.

Ulalei was represented by the Fatialofa aiga which has been part of the club since its inception in 1995. The club plans to enter a side for as long as the tournament continues to run. Ulalei acknowledges the fantastic and continued support from One Foundation.

Shave in support of cancer sufferer

By Frank Neill

Way of Life Fitness owner Troy

Mahupuku had his head shaved yesterday evening in support of a gymn member who is fighting cancer.

The main aim of the shave was to raise awareness of a fund-raiser Way of Life Fitness is running.

Claire Candy has been diagnosed with cancer and her treatment is not funded in New Zealand.

To help pay for the treatment, Way of Life Fitness has organised to raffle a Carol smart bike, valued

at $5,199.

Single $20 tickets are available at https://wayoflifefitness.gymmasteronline.com/.../shop/547395 and three tickets for $40 are available at https://wayoflifefitness.gymmasteronline.com/.../shop/547396.

These bikes come with Carol’s scientifically proven training regime. The regime takes 8 minutes and 40 seconds three times a week, and is the equivalent of a 45 minute jog five times a week.

The benefits of the Carol regime is that it leads to a 62% decrease in the risk of developing a metabolic

disease, a 78% increase in cardiovascular fitness, a 71% decrease in HDL cholesterol, a 78% decrease in triglycerides, a 196% improvement in blood pressure and a 48% improvement in blood sugar.

As well as Troy’s head being shaved on 28 February, Way of Life Fitness also ran a competition on their new Carol smart bikes, with prizes for the top power output by a male and a female, as well as spot prizes.

Way of Life Fitness is located at 1A Fitzherbert Road, down the service lane next to the Police Station.

the action from prime courtside seats, are now open.

This unique opportunity to connect with Aotearoa’s top netball

players is back after being benched due to Covid-19 in 2022.Applications are open at ANZcourtside. co.nz.

Infamous Wainui cycle race

By Frank Neill

The now infamous Wainui Coast Road 47km cycle race returns on 12 March, with the first group starting at 9am.

The race starts on Moores Valley Road, witha loop up the road before racing back down and onto Coast Road.

The race finishes about 2km outside Wainuiomata on Coast Road.

Only masters age riders (men 35 years and over and women30 years and over at 31 December 2023) can enter the event.

Organised by the Wellington

Masters Cycling Club (WMCC), entry is free for WMCC members and $35 for visitors. Meeting point, car parking and registration are at the Wainuiomata Scout Hall, Peel Place. Coffee and cookies will be available at the Scout Hall afterwards.

Registration and sign in open from 8amand close at 8:30am. For handicap purposes people must enter by 7pm on theThursday evening. Online entries can be made up until 8.30am on the day (grades subject to availability) by visiting the WMCC website.

The Ulalei players who took part in the 8th Pasifika Family Touch Festival. Photo: Supplied.

Young netballers Lani Reid (left) and Danniella Hancy-Lemon. They can now benefit from an ANZ Netball Grant. Photo: Supplied.

Claire Candy and Troy Mahupuku at Way of Life Fitness. Photo: Supplied.

Coin trail for cyclone relief

By Frank Neill

Arakura School held a coin trail that raised $700 for Cyclone Gabrielle relief on 24 February.

That was a very rewarding result from a school with a roll of just 120 students.

The whole school day was fo-

cused on both Cyclone Gabrielle and a series of fun activities.

It began with a minute’s silence, where the school reflected on the massive loss the cyclone caused – not only the loss of lives, but the loss of livelihoods, homes and property also.

A karakia focusing on informa-

tion about the cyclone followed the minutes’ silence.

As well as the students, families came to the school for the day, which included a shared lunch. Following the focus on Cyclone Gabrielle in the morning there was a fun afternoon. This fitted in with the theme of the day, which was

“FUNdraiser.” Students participated in a range of fun activities, including a water slide, arts and crafts, an outside disco and a construction centre, where tamariki could make what they wanted. The day ended with a reflection on what the day had been about.

LOVE LOCAL SHOP LOCAL

“It was fun and very meaningful,” the school’s office manager, Toni Binks told the “Wainuiomata News”.

Cyclone Gabrielle and the damage it caused “is going to affect not only the people up north but the whole country for a while,” she said.

Arakura School preparing for their coin trail for Cyclone Gabrielle relief. Photo: Supplied.

Arakura School students adding coins to their coin trail.

Photo: Supplied.