Tired but happy hunters and fishers gathered for prizegiving. Photos / Nicola Wall
Tired but happy hunters and fishers gathered for prizegiving. Photos / Nicola Wall
It’s an age-old rural tradition, a tried and true country school fundraiser and a community event that’s stood the test of time and copped the odd bit of criticism ... but the “children’s hunt” is a Kiwi country icon.
The Elsthorpe Community Playgroup held its fifth Take a Kid Hunting and Fishing Competition this month, a King’s Birthday event that raised funds for the playgroup as well as wiping a plethora of pests off the local landscape.
This year’s tally of 114 entries also came with a record number of animals brought in: 684, with children from the ages of 2 to 15 staggering up the driveway of Elsthorpe School under the weight of possums, turkeys, rabbits, magpies and more.
Heavily laden hunters turn up for the weigh in. Photo / Nicola Wall
But it wasn’t just about bagging the beasts, the day was also a community event, a chance for the adults to engage in an activity with their children and share important lessons about gun safety, conservation and pest control. It was also, of course, about having a sausage sizzle and buying some home baking from the Elsthorpe Playcentre stall.
Even those who came home empty-handed with tales of the one that got away were treated to a goody bag at the weigh-in where 73 prizes worth a total of more than $1000 were distributed, raffles drawn and spot prizes given out - all courtesy of 50 sponsors.
Organisers say they were delighted with the turnout and the results.
“Thank you to the Playgroup parents that have contacted sponsors, put together prizes, collected entry forms, got everything ready for the weigh-in and ran around on the day, and to all those past Playgroup parents and Community Heroes who continue to put their hands up to help, including Rick for the Roadies coffee cart and Deanna MacKay for judging the photo competition.
If you didn’t bag a buck you could still snag a sausage. Photo / Nicola Wall
“The Playgroup is a small group when it comes to organising events like this and we couldn’t do it without all your support.
“And to all the parents of kids that went hunting. Thank you for dedicating your weekend to the event. For taking your kids out hunting and fishing, for all those extra loads of washing and for dealing with the side-effects of some very exhausted kids afterwards.”
