Raumati Beach School pupil a finalist in Fred Hollows Humanity Awards

Riley Dickey with Kalib Harris from Paraparaumu Specsavers and Stephne Vaughn from The Fred Hollows Foundation. Photo / Rosalie Willis

With all the kids at Raumati Beach School wondering why they were sitting in rows for a school assembly last Thursday morning, it was with great excitement that one of their own was announced as a finalist for The Fred Hollows Humanity Awards.

With the awards created by The Fred Hollows Foundation to acknowledge passionate children striving to make the world around them a better place, Raumati Beach School pupil Riley Dickey has been named as one of 10 finalists from around the country.

"Two years ago we decided to look out for young people in New Zealand, specifically Year 6 students, who were striving to make the world a better place, just like Fred did," said the foundation's Stephne Vaughn.

Riley Dickey with his family after receiving his award from The Fred Hollows Foundation. Photo / Rosalie Willis

"We wanted to award young people who were kind and had helped other people in some way, so we decided to start some humanity awards."

The foundation is sending a representative to present each finalist with their award, with Stephne coming down from Auckland to present Riley his award.

"Presenting these awards is such a big deal for us.

"It's really important that we present our message to the children and celebrate all these different acts."

Riley was nominated by his teacher Paul Gilbert who said in his nomination, "Riley shows initiative, is outward thinking, personable, and cares about everyone in his life, his school, his community.

"He is a leader who looks after everyone in class, is positive, self-managing, inspirational and hard-working."

Speaking to the school in the special assembly Paul said, "Yes Riley is special, but he's just doing the same thing that we expect of you every day.

"Being top 10 in the country, Riley has obviously made an impression on the whole country.

"He does it just like you guys, and has taken it to the next level - he just took his actions one little step further."

The actions Paul is talking about is when Riley decided to put his Beauden Barrett signed adidas boots up for auction after hearing about the number of animals killed by the fires in Australia at the start of this year.

Riley sold the boots for $2500 on Trade Me, auctioning them off and raising almost $4000 for Help Save The Koalas Fund, which was run by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

"He's deserving of recognition, he is a role model for other people," Paul said.

"I hope that by students receiving this award, it will show other people in our community that following your passions and doing little things can lead you to do great things."

Smiling from ear to ear as he was called up in assembly, Riley said, "I didn't expect it [his actions] to go this far."

Being recognised in front of his classmates, Riley received a haka by the school, something that is reserved for very special occasions.

"In a year that has seen our country face some unusual and difficult times, something that has helped has been the humanity of everyday New Zealanders," Stephne said.

"This humanity was evident in the large number of students that were nominated for the Humanity Awards from all throughout New Zealand."