Editorial: Humble heroes earn pride of place

Dudley Andrews' actions won him the bravery and heroism award at the Pride of NZ Awards ceremony in Auckland. Photo / Peter Jackson

This week's Pride of New Zealand Awards was a humbling experience.

None of the nominees were people who do what they do for recognition. But it was fantastic to see them shine in the spotlight.

Take Northland's Dudley Andrews. His nomination was the result of something instinctive, and reactive.

Dudley pulled two boys, 5 and 6, out of the surf on Ninety Mile Beach. His actions won him the bravery and heroism award at the Pride of NZ Awards ceremony in Auckland.

Dudley impressed his audience with his humble acceptance speech in which he acknowledged that the two children he rescued had been taught to swim, which prevented them panicking. Whoever taught them to swim deserved an award too, he reckoned.

The Pride of NZ awards are organised by NZME - the multimedia parent company of newspapers throughout New Zealand, including the New Zealand Herald and Northern Advocate, and radio stations such as The Hits.

The awards are sponsored by TSB Bank which generously gives $10,000 to an overall winner selected by the people's choice method.

This year the winners were Ryan and Keri Topperwien. The Whakatane couple lost their son Chace, 3, to a rare form of cancer. But his life inspired them to set up the Dream Chaser Foundation - a Chace Topperwien Charity - in his memory.

The Dream Chaser Foundation organises fundraising events to help families in Ronald McDonald House, for children in hospital and for families of children coping with cancer.

Where a child has died, the charity also provides bereavement grants of up to $500.

In their Pride of NZ nomination video, Mr Topperwien said the pair also tried to help people emotionally. Dudley and the Topperwiens are examples of selfless people who "do" ... when sometimes the option is "don't".

They really are the sort of people who are the Pride of New Zealand.