Dannevirke indoor bowls runs successful IHC fundraiser

The annual Combined Indoor Bowls Clubs IHC tournament in a different venue - the A&P Home Industries Hall - it was a little cramped but very friendly!

The Dannevirke Combined Indoor Bowls Clubs has held a successful tournament to fundraise for the local IHC branch.

Held at the end of last month, the tournament was the 52nd since its inception, raising a total of more than $170,000 for the organisation in that time.

The venue had to be moved from the Dannevirke Sports Centre Stadium due to a prior booking, but found a suitable spot in the A&P Show Home Industries Hall, which was a little cramped but a novel experience playing on a concrete floor, and proved to be very true and therefore reliable.

Top local bowler Jude Martin plays skip for her Sports Centre team.

It was a mission to transport the 13 mats and other gear down from the Sports Centre and position them on Sunday morning. Fortunately the users the night before - the Bogged in the Swamp event run by the A&P Committee - had left the hall in pristine condition and dry, as the mats had to be on a dry surface.

More than 100 bowlers in 26 teams played four rounds each lasting 40 minutes with the winner Bruce Dalton’s team from Napier.

Veteran bowler Johnny Johnson back playing after a break.

Dannevirke had five teams (three from Rua Roa and two from the Sports Centre) and they won their share of 15 prizes which had been sponsored by local businesses.

Proceeds look to be about the same as last year’s $3000 with a big increase in raffle sales and monetary donations.

Skip John Deadman points to where he wants team member Margaret Cload to place her shot.

Treasurer of the Combined Indoor Bowls Committee, Colleen McCutcheon, says she was thrilled with the day which maintains this great long-standing tradition.

Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist working for the Bush Telegraph and based at Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the last ten years.