Daffodil Day widely supported in Tararua

Sandra and Ian Riley with customer Carolyn Bell outside Woodville Four Square on Friday.

The early flowering daffodils held out until Daffodil Day and the sun shone but a cool wind reminded volunteers and customers winter was not over on Daffodil Day last Friday.

Daffodils by the bucket loads festooned the stalls scattered from Dannevirke to Eketahuna also laden with produce ranging from Beau the bear and his smaller compatriots to golden clothes pegs, raffles, pens and notebooks with a pen embedded inside, hand sanitisers, broaches and key rings.

The Alfredton School seniors with Cancer Society volunteer Maureen Te Wake.

Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce challenged shop owners to decorate their windows and these supplemented by yellow and black balloons put up by the Men's Cancer Support Group made High Street look very festive. The latter also manned a stall outside the New World Supermarket on Saturday, helping get the total up to more than $9000.

Its competition for best window was won by Visique Dannevirke Optometrists with a different design made up of daffodils crocheted by Angela Howearth and fixed to large glasses with help from Megan Crampton.

Eketahuna had a very good response from locals who braved unpleasant weather to come out and donate.

Many schools have held fundraisers throughout Tararua such as Alfredton School which boosted Eketahuna's funds with a donation of $261.80 following a fundraising event on Daffodil Day.

The children baked and sold lemon muffins, gluten-free lemon slice and homemade lemonade. Following the morning tea sale they put coins on a large daffodil which two Council members had drawn and painted. Many of the children dressed in yellow, some were particularly creative with one child dressing as a bright yellow jandal.

Pahiatua raised more money than last year and its raffles sold really as did Woodville's stall and raffles, one prize going all the way to Waipawa.

Response from the Tararua public to Daffodil Day was positive, again illustrating that despite the pandemic, cancer is still very much in the minds of most as a major health threat. Most stalls reported dozens of donations to go with the purchases.

Cancer Society Supportive Care Co-ordinator for Tararua Cherie Rissetto said she visited all the venues throughout Tararua on Friday and was amazed at the wonderful supporters who ran the stalls and the generosity of locals. She said without both the Cancer Society could not function.

She wishes also to remind people who may be looking for support she is in her new office 17 Gordon Street, Dannevirke and can be contacted on 0800 777 842.