Mayor Tracey Collis presents the trophy to Matilda.
Mayor Tracey Collis presents the trophy to Matilda.
Pic 2: BTG111021WA2 Caption: Mayor Tracey Collis presents the trophy to Matilda.
Pic 3: BTG111021WA3 Caption: Matilda with her extended family from left: Margaret Hill (Grandma), Matilda, Finn Panchard (brother), Stella Leong (close friend), Peter Hill (Grandad) Pam Panchard (Grandma), Aaron Panchard (Dad) and Rowena Panchard (Mum).
Pic 4: BTG111021WA4 Caption: Dannevirke Community Board Chairman Pat Walshe quizzes Matilda about her future.
Pic 5: BTG111021WA5 Caption: Guest Speaker Aaron Karena traces his history and gives advice to set your goals.
Pic 6: BTG111021WA6 Caption: Mayor Tracey Collis commends the high calibre of nominees.
Matilda Panchard was awarded the Wackrow Memorial Award when, after a delay due to lockdown, the Dannevirke Community Board finally held the award's prizegiving in The Hub on Tuesday October 5.
Matilda Panchard is 16 and attends Dannevirke High School, is fully involved in sport, culture and education and along the way serving the community in many ways.
She is currently completing her Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award which involves her serving at the Hub Church meals on Sunday and acting as a Girl Guide Unit Leader every Wednesday.
Matilda Panchard holds the Wackrow Memorial Award Trophy with the four other candidates. Second Row front: Tama Ngati-Ruaporo (2nd), Paige Appleton (3rd). Top: Jarrod Hape and Chianne Lyford-Shields.
She helped during the Covid-19 lockdown and continues as an administrator during the Covid vaccination roll-out on Saturdays.
In sport, she has been very active playing badminton, volleyball (to a national level), smallbore rifle shooting and tramping, in roles as team member and team support both coaching and fundraising.
Her award followed a very interesting set of speakers who each commended the candidates for their commitment and achievements so far.
A good crowd of whanau and friends in excess of 70 was easily accommodated in the spacious venue and a very pleasant evening was held with supper served afterwards at seated tables.
After the singing of all five verses of the New Zealand National Anthem by duo Peter Tairea and Tom Kamura, MC and Dannevirke Community Board chairman Pat Walshe introduced Mayor Tracey Collis, who spoke about the high calibre of the five candidates which "gave her confidence for the future" commending their courage for entering.
She also commended the Cactus programme, coaches and teachers for giving youngsters support to learn and train, saying the five nominees join an elite group who have gone before.
Guest speaker Aaron Karena spoke on the theme "Do the mahi – share the treats", outlining his career so far to his present position as an Associate Principal at MCI and Associates.
He listed a large number of organisations of which he was a part to illustrate "his desire to make the community more resilient," and commended the nominees for their efforts so far.
He advised them to "trust themselves, not be afraid to fail, not to listen to naysayers, put in the mahi and keep their goals in sight." Most of all he advised to set goals.
He said he was proud his aunty Charmaine Hoera was the first winner of the Wackrow award 34 years ago.
Sergeant Gary McKernon outlined the background to Graeme Wackrow after whom the award was named, saying he was a popular serving police officer in Dannevirke, sadly killed in a car accident on duty on August 24, 1984.
After brief interviews, each of the nominees received a certificate and then the awards were presented Matilda Panchard winning the award with Tama Ngati-Ruaporo second and Paige Appleton third.
Matilda said she was very honoured and proud to win especially after reading the biographies of each candidate in the newspaper.
She still has another year at Dannevirke High School to attend but after that she wants to go to university with courses wide open at present with her interests in art, chemistry and possibly even journalism!
Her extended family had come from as far as Palmerston North to attend the gathering and were of course highly delighted and proud, especially mum Rowena and dad Aaron
The Wackrow Memorial Award seeks to recognise young people's community service and contribution to supporting the work of local voluntary organisations and groups.
Matilda receives the trophy to hold for a year and a miniature to keep, plus $500 with the second place awarded $300 and third place $200.
