Small Waipawa park hosts big-hearted event

Giant bubbles filled Loten Park, Waipawa, with rainbows of colour. Photos / Jackie Lowry

Residents of lower Waipawa were treated to a shared barbeque recently - a boost to the spirits of a Central Hawke’s Bay neighbourhood badly hit by Cyclone Gabrielle.

The event, run by Epic and Mataweka Marae, took place in Loten Park, Bibby Street, which was crammed with a huge bouncy slide, IVAN with Epic youth team, giant bubbles, games, music and gourmet burgers.

Many willing hands helped feed the families with gourmet burgers.

Epic co-leader Jackie Lowry said “Epic and Mataweka Marae both got funding from Te Whatu Ora and MSD for wellbeing/hauora and we decided we’d support the community together.

“We decided to bring the first wellbeing event to lower Waipawa.”

One initiative that the teams wanted to offer was a prize draw for fully equipped emergency grab-bags.

Jackie said “Consumer NZ had scored the best available grab-bags and what they contained, so we modelled our bags on their list - and we went shopping.

Tiny Loten Park was filled with sunshine and families.

“It was a cool thing to be able to do - to have the funds to do. Companies we ordered the equipment from were really supportive: I ordered 20 backpacks and they sent us 25. I ordered 20 ration packs and they sent us a box of 24...we gave away 20 grab bags, and then some of the extra equipment so people could start their own.”

The huge bouncy slide attracted kids of all ages.

Inspire Youth Council volunteers joined the teams from Mataweka Marae and Epic to help on the day, operating the games, giving out giant bubble-making kits and helping fill the small Waipawa park with rainbows of colour.