Cancer society can't find volunteers in Mount Maunganui

Daffodil Day might not happen in Mount Maunganui this year unless a special volunteer comes to the rescue.

With just one month until the Cancer Society's biggest annual fundraiser no one has stepped up to coordinate the collections in Mount Maunganui.

Catriona Findlay, fundraising manager for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty branch of the society, said it was the first time in the 27-year history of Daffodil Day anyone could remember this happening in the Mount.

Usually, they had a couple of volunteers they could ask but no one was available this year. The society could not afford to pay someone to do it.

"It's quite a concern."

She said the Mount was a really important fundraising area for the charity, bringing in more than $34,000 over the past three years, and it would be a shame if the area missed out this year.

She said the coordinator's duties were really not that hard, especially if spread among a small group of volunteers - and some tasks had already been taken care of.

"There's a maximum of 10 hours of work to do before Daffodil Day itself, Friday, August 25."

The work involved talking to with the volunteers who would man collection points on the day and making a schedule of volunteers for each point.

The charity had a database of regular volunteers, Ms Findlay said.

On the day they would coordinate the collection points, collect and bank the money raised and return any leftover resources.

They would have support and instruction from the society's staff - and from Papamoa's volunteer coordinator Kristine Holdaway.

Mrs Holdaway said she was "thrown into" coordinating her first Daffodil Day last year, after volunteering as a collector for the first time the year before.

"It's not too hard and I'm happy to talk to whoever decides to do it and guide them along.

"The satisfaction is seeing all the money coming in. The generosity of the public is incredible.

"We had an incident in Pak'n'Save last year where a guy bought a scratchie and won $7 and game over and said 'here, you have this'. How neat is that?"

Mrs Holdaway lost her aunt, Lois May, who was also her best friend, to breast cancer 10 or so years ago.

She said one of the reasons she volunteered for the Cancer Society was to remember Lois.

"Everyone who comes up to you knows somebody who has had cancer. It's a dreadful thing."

Qualities of a Daffodil Day coordinator

The Cancer Society is looking for someone...

- organised
- responsible
- well connected in the Mount
- with a community group or a few friends who can help
- who is available all day on Friday, 25 August.

If that's you, email fundraising@cancersociety.org.nz or give Hayley Wilkinson a call on 07 9035807 as soon as possible.