The humble, everyday heroes in the Bay of Plenty community were celebrated at a special awards ceremony tonight.Artist Graham Hoete (Mr G), Kai Aroha's Tania Lewis-Rickard and St Chads general manager Nicky Mayne were just some of the locals praised for their community contribution at the 2020 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year ceremony held at the Tauranga's Classic Flyers Museum.
The 22 Kiwibank local heroes were presented with specially made medals to officially recognise their achievements in the community. The awards are part of the 2020 New Zealander of the Year Awards.
Kai Aroha founder Tania Lewis-Rickard said she didn't do the community work for acknowledgement, with her "heart and soul firmly focused on the community."
"Yes, you get tired and the mahi gets hard but you've got support around you," she said.
Rotorua's St Chads' Nicky Mayne said she was "blown away and surprised" when she found out she was receiving an award and called for people to watch for discrimination against disabled people.