Te Awamutu residents make a stand against child abuse and commit to ensuring the safety of children in the community.
About 800 people linked arms along the main street of Te Awamutu on Sunday afternoon to make a stand against child abuse.
The Linking of Arms will be part of the documentary Stop the Bus, filmed by Te Awamutu filmmakers Chris and Erinna Lane.
The long line of people stretched from Showcase Jewellers to Strawbridge Appliances on Alexandra St.
People waved balloons, others clapped and cheered and many donned Stop the Bus t-shirts.
Side streets were blocked off for the line to run seamlessly along the main street.
The public gesture symbolised Te Awamutu's commitment to ensuring the safety of children in the community.
On the Stop the Bus Facebook page, they said they were "blown away" by the turnout.
They had planned for 350 people but counted close to 800 people.
It was an emotional moment for Erinna Lane, who was nervous that not enough people would show up.
"I actually had to pull myself together - the level of support was overwhelming."
"People from all walks of life and representing many groups - agencies, sports clubs, schools, churches, marae, neighbours, whanau, leaders - united together as a show of commitment that we will do whatever it takes to keep the kids of this community safe."
"Thank you to everyone who came out today and all those supporting from afar."
Representatives from various local agencies Violence Free Waipa, White Ribbon, Kainga Aroha and It's Not OK attended the event for anyone seeking support.
Take-home packs filled with information about where to get help were distributed afterwards.
Mrs Lane says the event won't fix the problem of child abuse.
"Hopefully it was the start of discussion. But to continue this, we need more funding.
"The fundraising keeps the bus going, but we still need more ongoing support to make this documentary happen."
The family is seven weeks into filming the documentary and will next head to the Coromandel before travelling South.
The documentary's vision is to film a nation of people standing together committing to providing children with care.
A line-up of people linking arms will also be filmed in other locations around New Zealand.
Chris and Erinna Lane, and their four sons Joshua, Noah, Lache and Theo plan to return to Te Awamutu in July 2018 to start editing.
This summer will be critical to discover if the sharks have started returning.