Monster book sale gets tick

BOOK BOUND: Steve Trotman, Wairarapa Heart Foundation volunteer, surveys some of the thousands of donated titles for sale at the 17th annual fundraiser book sale in the Masterton Town Hall this weekend. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

The 17th annual Heart Foundation book sale was launched at the Masterton Town Hall yesterday afternoon.

Co-ordinator Bill Reid, who this year was overseeing the monster sale alongside fellow Wairarapa Heart Foundation volunteer Jacquey Barber, said the event was one of the largest of its kind in the country and aimed to raise up to $15,000 for the national organisation.

He said three truckloads of books, magazines and puzzles had been sorted and stacked ready for sale, after being donated over the course of the year "by the people of Wairarapa" and stored at the disused Masterton Hospital maternity building.

He said there was a need for younger volunteers to help with the annual lumping and humping of the books, which were yesterday loaded into the trucks by Wairarapa College schoolboys.

"Without them we wouldn't have a sale. They were terrific, as usual."

He said younger volunteers also were needed for other fundraising events held by the Heart Foundation in Wairarapa including the provision of help at an annual marathon and the sale of golf balls.

Kit Cohr, newly appointed Wairarapa Heart Health Advocate for the Heart Foundation, said the organisation was in need of volunteers to help form a committee that would help with the advocacy and promotion of heart healthy lifestyles in the region. She said the regional group at times works alongside other organisations in Wairarapa including smokefree networks, the Wairarapa District health Board, Compass Health, Whaiora Whanui and Sport Wellington Wairarapa.

The book sale runs today from 10am to 5pm and tomorrow 10am to 3pm.