Community spirit

We had the batons-up on Friday night and what a brilliant night it was. Not only did every ticket-holder win a prize, but the food, a shared dinner, was amazing. There was such a large selection of different dishes that it was difficult bypassing something that looked good because something further along the table looked even better. Every person left the dining area with a plate filled to their perfection. And there was dessert as well, a highlight for me.

We had been asked to donate pantry items earlier for the batons-up and along with these, many items were donated from local businesses, making a stunning bunch of prizes.  The first batch of tickets sold out immediately, with a further 100 printed, and they went quickly too. Along with this, 1000 raffle tickets were sold on the night. The event was a fundraiser for the community so I guess the organisers will be pleased, both with the turnout and the amount of money raised. These people did a sterling job coordinating the event, which ran like clockwork.

It took me back to the days when I lived in a small, rural area in the Hokianga. We were constantly holding fundraisers there and they were always well-attended events. So many areas have lost that sense of community. We are lucky here as living on the peninsula defines us geographically and everyone knows they are part of this and thus welcome to attend any community event held out this way. And the pleasing thing, as indicated on Friday night, is that people want to be part of something like this and are willing to spend their money on raffles and tickets and even an auction for unclaimed prizes. It was a great show of community spirit.

Quite a number of attendees were batch holders, who come up regularly from Auckland and other areas. I wonder how Friday night compared to what they have in their own communities.

This was the second event in the past week, the first being a meet-and-greet so new people could get to know some of the longer-standing residents and other newbies. I know if it was me just arriving, I would be delighted at the place I had moved to. Let’s hope the community spirit stays this way.

For the record, Stephen and I won a large bag of vegetables, containing silver beet, broccoli, kumara and carrots; a prize far exceeding the $10 spent on the ticket. I was able to share the silver beet and one head of broccoli with a friend, still leaving plenty for Stephen and me. A very satisfying evening all around.