A group of mums and kids at the march. Photo / Talia Parker
A group of mums and kids at the march. Photo / Talia Parker
A sea of yellow costumes, squeaking kazoos and graceful bagpipes erupted down the main street of Te Puke to fundraise for those in need.
The Te Puke Community March & Stand for Daffodil Day took place yesterday, with about 70 people taking to the streets to raise money for and support those fighting cancer.
The march was organised by the Cancer Society's Te Puke area co-ordinator for daffodil day Maria Moore, Tarnished Frocks and Divas star Bridget McKinley, and Ms Woman of the Universe NZ contestant Jerrie-Lee Ngareta Hill.
Te Puke's daffodil day march. Photo / Talia Parker
Two of the marchers were Liane Crawford and her dog Sid.
Crawford said she came to the march to represent "all the women that go through this" and all those suffering from cancer.
Sid donned bee wings and wagged his tail happily in the Te Puke Memorial Hall where the march began.
Liane Crawford and her dog Sid. Photo / Talia Parker
Also gathered in the hall were regional council candidate Sean Newland and Western Bay of Plenty mayoral candidate Mark Boyle, who joined the marchers on their trip around the town centre.
Business workers on the main street stood outside their stores to wave and cheer for the marchers, whose procession of yellow was led by Te Puke Pipe Band bagpiper Jo Riddington.
A truck driving through town gave the crowd a resonant honk. A man walking past stopped to donate $10, to resounding cheers.
Musical artist Moone (left) with two of the event organisers, Maria Moore and Bridget McKinley. Photo / Talia Parker
Kids from a local early childhood education centre accompanied Riddington on kazoos as the group made their way through the town with joyful energy, both celebrating their community and standing up for those in need.
The crowd returned to the hall for a mini-concert, with performances by Katrina Clark's band Someday Angels and her daughter Izzy, as well as Moone (Marama Rice), who performed her new song I Am Who I Am.
She wrote the song for her cousin Eva, who died of cancer in 2018.
Moone said Eva was a fierce philanthropist, feminist, and advocate, who raised more than $70,000 for victims of sexual abuse.
Some students and teachers from the 4woods Early Learning Centre joined in the march. Photo / Talia Parker
"I've always been inspired by the things she did," Moone said. "It's a song about love."
Moone showed up to the march to "support the community" and be "part of something that's bigger than myself".
She said Te Puke was a "fantastic community" and it was "phenomenal to see everybody here".
After the march, Moore said it had been "absolutely fantastic".
"I was blown away with the effort that people had made, and how the Te Puke town backed us."
