Growers give back: Hospice, charities to benefit from trust's nearly $200,000 gift

Susan Mills helps Helen O'Hara at Waipuna Hospice, which has been donated $70,000. Photo / George Novak

Western Bay kiwifruit and avocado growers are making their trays go that little bit further, raising more than $180,000 for charity.

A trust set up by Tauranga company DMS Progrowers allowed growers to opt into donating a cent or two per tray of fruit to support local community organisations.

The company vowed to match every cent and together they have raised $186,675 for Western Bay charities, including a $70,000 sum for Waipuna Hospice.

DMS Progrowers joint managing director Craig Greenlees said he had the idea for a trust that would give back to the community about a decade ago.

He said he thought at the time that it was important the flourishing kiwifruit industry gave back.

However, soon after, the sector was devastated by the PSA bacterial disease.

DMS Progrowers joint managing director and charitable trust member Craig Greenlees. Photo / Supplied

Greenlees said he didn't forget the idea and once the industry was back on its feet, he decided the business was in a financial position to go ahead with the plan.

He said a large number of growers joined the trust and with around 30,000 trays picked annually per grower, the money flooded in.

Some growers had even donated more than $10,000 themselves, he said.

The trust was made up of growers and leaders from DMS Progrowers, who decided to split the selection of charities for the grants into two sections.

The first was for general services to the community - a charity that many people would have used or may need to use in the future - and the second was charities that help children and families in need.

Greenlees said this guided them to choose Waipuna Hospice as their key beneficiary, donating $70,000 to the organisation.

Many growers would know someone who had used the hospice's services in the past.

The $70,000 would be used to fund night nurse salaries.

Another $50,000 would go to the Waipuna Hospice Foundation towards the long-term development of services.

Waipuna Hospice in Te Puna. Photo / George Novak

Waipuna Hospice's director of marketing and fundraising Sasima Pearce said the donation was "so great" and "extremely generous of the growers".

She said the hospice's on-call night nurse service had become busier over the years and the funding would help maintain it.

She said it allowed patients to be visited after-hours in the comfort of their homes, instead of having to rush to the emergency department.

The hospice also planned to fund a new community nurse shift to bridge the period between 5pm and around midnight, she said.

EmpowermentNZ, who run Te Puke's Food Bank service, will receive $35,000 and two Katikati organisations have nabbed $15,000.