Devastated sporting friends were reunited on Sunday as a rugby club opened its doors to both members and non-members who lost so much in the deadly Cyclone Gabrielle.
Clive Rugby and Sports Club decided to make the good-hearted gesture after being touched by the plight of members, and other residents of Hawke’s Bay, who lost properties and livelihoods in the cyclone almost two weeks ago.
The cookers were fired up about 9am.
Club members are donating cash which – along with money raised via the auction of other items, including a pedigree puppy – will be distributed to those impacted.
Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union president Neil Pulford – a member of the club for about 65 years – said he hoped when people left the event they would feel “supported”.
“This is what I love about rugby ... the whole community coming together, especially with us at Clive” Pulford told the Herald.
“The community here are pretty close. The main thing about this was to get everyone together, get everyone standing and talking to one another ... have a few beers and find out if anyone needs any extra help.
“Some of our club members had been impacted, big time. A lot of them live out at Fernhill [which was badly damaged]. And our prems coach has family who lives up at Tutira and they have been really knocked around.
“We want to help them. We want them all to feel supported and to know that we are with them.”
Pulford said it was good to know that money raised at the event, and over the coming weeks, by the club would help go towards things such as replacement appliances.
Some people impacted didn’t have contents insurance.
Born and bred in Clive – on SH51 on the outskirts of Napier – Pulford said the area and those around it had been susceptible to floods since the 1930s.
But never had he seen the level of destruction of that caused by Cyclone Gabrielle.
“I have never seen damage like this; bridges are gone, Pakowhai is devastated,” he said.
He said he couldn’t thank enough those who are volunteering their time to strip and start cleaning up badly damaged homes owned by those they didn’t even know.
“It is amazing,” Pulford, a life member of the club, said.
“That is the best thing that has come out it, it is so good all of the stories about people helping.”
Clive Rugby and Sports club stalwart Shane Shepherd was among the volunteer cooks who put on the impressive feed for attendees at the event.
Helping out was personal for Shepherd.
Not only does he know many people impacted by the floods, but he has seen the destruction daily through the once-pristine Esk Valley while driving trucks full of silt, mud and other debris spread across SH5.
“This is a way of showing our appreciation to people who have been impacted,” he said.
“We want people to feel uplifted and that they are not alone. We are always here for each other ... that is the whole concept of our club; when times are tough, we all knuckle in.”
Scenes of destruction he has witnessed out there include a house that was moved 300m, given the sheer force of the deadly wall of water, mud and silt.
Esk Valley has been heartbreaking, just like the rest of the communities impacted,” he said.
“There is a lot of pain that people are feeling. But it is encouraging to see the different number of people out there who are trying to help.
“What we are trying to do is clear the roads and clean out the water table, so water can actually run somewhere. If not the road will just flood again.
“It is heartbreaking but also encouraging to see whanau helping whanau whatever race you are; black, white, yellow, green ... everyone is giving each other a hand.”
Also present at the luncheon were members of Clive’s senior thirds team; back-to-back champions of their club competition and dubbed “The Movement”.
Members of the squad have been out and about over the past two weeks volunteering to help with the mammoth job of cleaning badly damaged property.
That task entails working in sticky, smelly mud and silt which has swamped homes and properties.
Some managed to squeeze in a quick kai before returning to the never-ending work.
During this weekend their efforts have included cleaning up properties in Pakowhai, along with former All Blacks flanker Tanerau Latimer.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.