Rotary sponsors acknowledged

Kevin Longman, with cheque recipients L-R: Paul McArdle, Ana Apatu, Paul Fong and Chris Ryan,

The Havelock North Rotary Club held an intimate sponsors' dinner at the Havelock North Function Centre last night.

The dinner was used as an opportunity to thank sponsors, and funds were given to local organisations making charitable contributions to society.

The club last year donated $35,000 to worthy causes in the region. Country2Coast event director Kevin Longman said the donations would not be possible without the generous support from sponsors and events.

"Every cent we get goes towards one of these very worthwhile causes," Mr Longman said.
The annual Country2Coast race is the biggest fundraiser of the year, raising more than $20,000 for Rotary.

Mr Longman said they were grateful to the council for letting them use the trails, which were a huge Bay asset for the race.

The event, sponsored by many local organisations including Hawke's Bay Today, attracts people of all ages in the region.

The donation recipients were Chris Ryan from the Guthrie Smith Trust, Paul Fong from Youth Quest, Paul McArdle of Bikes in Schools and Ana Apatu from the U-Turn Trust.

Mr Ryan has helped develop a 90ha arboretum of over 20,000 plants and trees.

He said he hoped to branch out to geology and insects.

Paul Fong grew up as a Black Power prospect.

However he said that because he was "never good at being bad," he had turned his back on the life and decided to give kids the opportunity he didn't.

He started Youth Quest in 2007 and now runs camps for troubled youth at Camp David.
Paul McArdle said the aim of his initiative was for regular and equal access to bikes for primary students.

More than 40 schools across the country now have a bikes in school programme.
Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust and works alongside "big thinkers" Rex Graham, Tracee Te Huia, Taine Randell and Lawrence Yule.

The trust aims to provide financial and political support to Henare and Pam O'Keefe for worthy causes in Flaxmere.