Editorial: Selfless heroes in good supply

Bruce Trask poured his energy into a multitude of community initiatives in Tauranga in the past 25 years in an effort to make the city a better place for future generations.

The Western Bay has no shortage of selfless residents who willingly give up their time for little or no recognition.

Monday's paper featured the eight locals who received Queen's Birthday honours for doing just that.

As a journalist I always look forward to the Queen's Birthday and New Year honours.

In our line of work we see and hear about a lot of death and destruction. The honours list is a chance to unashamedly celebrate those who often go unnoticed.

Some of my most memorable interviews have been with people I had never heard of before the list came out.

Talking to those who are receiving the awards never fails to inspire and amaze me.

Many times I have sat at my desk and stared at the blank screen before me and the pages of notes beside me wondering how I will ever manage to do justice to such inspirational people in 200 words.

Susan Heath is one of those. She received a Queen's Service Medal after being a foster parent for almost two decades caring for about 70 children who stayed for periods ranging from single emergency nights to four years.

She said it was her job but even so, there would be few people who could do what she has done for so long.

Bruce Trask poured his energy into a multitude of community initiatives in Tauranga in the past 25 years in an effort to make the city a better place for future generations. He established Sport Bay of Plenty, developed a Zero Waste Education programme taught in schools and co-founded the Environmental Education for Resource Sustainability Trust in 2000.

Then there was veterinarian and lecturer Professor Emeritus Boyd Jones, conservationist Ian Pirani, Dr Barry Knight who served a small New Zealand town for 50 years, pioneering teacher and principal Robyn Rosemary Rosie, historical researcher Susan Eileen Baker Wilson and farmer Derek Spratt, who was behind the formation of the first Rural Support Trust.

All of these people have dedicated their lives to a cause and have gone above and beyond the call of duty. In doing so they have improved the lives of many others.