Editorial: Bring yer Boots along for the kids

The Hawke's Bay Today bring yer boots campaign has been a huge success in previous years.

The great thing about driving around our province in the afternoon and at weekends is seeing all the school children out playing sport.

There are few better sights than a footy field or netball court full of excited youngsters getting exercise and having fun.

Every winter I spend time at the Hastings Regional Sports Park watching my daughters playing hockey and netball and it is amazing to see all the children out there, in rain or shine, participating in team sports.

Unfortunately, there are some in our community who do not have footy boots or sports shoes and this means that they could miss out on being part of a team.

That is why Hawke's Bay Today has, for the past three years, teamed up with Sport Hawke's Bay in the Bring Yer Boots campaign. This is a campaign where we ask our readers to hunt around for any old footy boots or sports shoes and to donate them to this worthy cause.

The drop-off points are Hawke's Bay Today's offices at NZME House, Level 1, 105 Dickens St, Napier; 301 Heretaunga St East, Hastings; 76a Ruataniwha St, Waipukurau and 16 Gordon St, Dannevirke. For those of you in Wairoa, Sport Hawke's Bay staff at the community centre there have agreed to collect boots as well. The address is Wairoa Community Centre, 33 Marine Parade, Wairoa. When we have collected all the boots - you have until Friday, April 29 to donate them - Hawke's Bay Today will hand them all over to Sport Hawke's Bay, which will distribute them to those in need throughout the province.

My thanks to Sport Hawke's Bay for agreeing to come on board once again and support this fantastic initiative.