Volunteer award 'big surprise'

BY GARY CAFFELL
Wairarapa netball stalwart Celia Donaldson got the surprise of her life when she was amongst the winners at Netball Wellington Region's end-of-season presentation function in Wellington this week.
Donaldson was unaware she had been nominated for the Volunteer of the Year award so when she was announced to be amongst the three finalists and then as the winner she was "pretty shocked"
But even a cursory glance at Donaldson's curriculum vitae for this particular award indicates a mind-boggling dedication to the sport, both in a playing and administrative sense.
In the past season she has served on the Netball Wellington region steering committee which was responsible for setting up the inaugural superleague competition and she had a big hand in the organisation of the home games for the Wairarapa team which actually won that title. More than that, she was a playing member of the side as well.,
As vice-president ,media liaison officer and maintenance officer Donaldson also gave grand service to Netball Wairarapa in the 2005 season and she was manager of the Wairarapa under-15 rep side, coach of the St Matthews Collegiate junior B team and both organised and played for All Blacks in the Wairarapa premier one inter-club competition.
Donaldson concedes her workload for netball has been immense and is quick to pay tribute to the support given her by family.
"It's been a hectic time but I've been playing netball for about 25 years now so it's good to give something back," she said.
Donaldson said the success of the Wairarapa team in the superleague series was a special highlight with the home games at the Genesis Recreation Centre attracting huge crowds.
"Having such an excellent indoor facility for rep and club netball has been tremendous for the game here," she said of the centre. "It's just so much more comfortable for spectators?..being able to keep warm and dry means more come along that's for sure."
Also honoured at the Netball Wairarapa Region presentation function were the Wairarapa under-17 team which won the Marj Jenden trophy for finishing fourth at their national tournament, the best performance by a team from the Wellington region at that event.
Other notable efforts recorded were Abby Hull of Wairarapa College making the under-17 tournament team, Ngahuia Wilson-Kapene of St Matthews Collegiate making the under-15 tournament team and Rosie Mahoney of Wairarapa College making the lower North Island secondary schools tournament side.
Among those nominated for the Administrator of the Year award was Wairarapa's Kim Whiteman and a tribute was paid to the late Colleen Daly, a Netball Wairarapa stalwart who passed away a couple of months ago.