When Sid Busby saw a mob of drunken youths abusing and assaulting a group of female Te Rangi Aniwaniwa students in Kaitaia's main street on July 5 he did the right thing. He intervened.
For his trouble he was beaten and robbed, while his wife and children could only lookon.
Mr Busby's courage and decency did not go unnoticed by the schoolgirls, or their school and its community.
His actions were discussed at a whanau hui at the school a few days after the incident, where the whanau expressed a desire to thank him with a koha, to replace what was stolen from him.
"Te Rangi Aniwaniwa whanau felt it would be a good gesture to replace some of these items for his good deed," said Tarei Patuwairua, who went on to organise the the school's 'Papas' Patrol' of Kaitaia's main street.
"Many whanau contributed koha to be given to the Busby whanau. One parent was absolutely disgusted with the behaviour of these youths, and suggested Sid be given a Bushman's hut gift voucher so he could take his wife to dinner after such a traumatic experience."
Three parents of girls who were attacked and abused on July 5, and five of the seven students, delivered the koha and thanked the entire Busby whanau.
"This was such a special moment, shared between both groups, with the parents and the girls so very, very thankful to Sid Busby for his intervention," Mr Patuwairua added.
"The Busby whanau were so thankful to the girls, the parents and Te Rangi Aniwaniwa whanau for their kind words and koha.
"It's people like Sid Busby who make Kaitaia unique and wonderful. His act of bravery, his instinct to protect the Te Rangi Aniwaniwa girls, is in each and every one in the community, which is the underlying factor that has sparked the manaakitia and aroha from the Te Rangi Aniwaniwa whanau."
