North Canterbury News: December 14, 2023
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Tooting for tucker throughout NC<br />
NEWS<br />
The <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>December</strong> <strong>14</strong>, <strong>2023</strong><br />
5<br />
By JOHN COSGROVE<br />
An overwhelming response greeted<br />
volunteersassisting the annual Toot for<br />
Tucker appeal last Tuesday evening with<br />
donations exceeding expectations.<br />
While the sirens wailed and the horns<br />
tooted across <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong>, residents<br />
dug deep, and answered the call to donate<br />
food.<br />
The appeal helps restock the many food<br />
banks in the area, and support the<br />
increased demand from those in need,<br />
particularly as the Christmas holiday<br />
season approaches.<br />
Large numbersofservice group<br />
volunteers, Fire and Emergency NZ<br />
firemen, school students, and community<br />
groups all turned out to help in Kaiapoi,<br />
Woodend/Pegasus/Ravenswood, Rangiora,<br />
Oxford, Amberley, Leithfield and<br />
Waipara.<br />
Organiser Bev Wright says the response<br />
exceeded expectations.<br />
‘‘All the areas gave generously and none<br />
more so than the little township of<br />
Waipara, who joined in the event for the<br />
first time and gave afantastic donation of<br />
some 21 banana boxes to the local<br />
foodbank.’’<br />
Oxford Community Trust worker Emily<br />
Chapman says it was areally good<br />
response from the community.<br />
‘‘We had agreat response and were<br />
pleased at the high quality of the food<br />
donated.”<br />
She says they collected about 100 boxes<br />
of food and praised the Oxford Lions, local<br />
firemen and other volunteers for their<br />
help.<br />
Mrs Wright says Amberley undertook a<br />
new approach this year.<br />
‘‘By using the evening to not only collect,<br />
but to also sort the food it gave everyone a<br />
fresh perspective on what had been<br />
donated. They then delivered it to the<br />
local foodbanks ready to be put out into<br />
Loadedup... Amberley Lions member Allan Hislop helps Amberley School pupil Hema<br />
Laxon (12) to unload their car at the annual Toot for Tucker appeal in Amberley, while<br />
Vanessa Nelmes helps to coordinate the unloading operation in the car park behind the<br />
council offices.<br />
PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE<br />
food parcels for clients.’’<br />
She says the Mayor of Hurunui was right<br />
in the thick of it –helping with the sorting.<br />
Mayor Marie Black says the community<br />
were very generous.<br />
‘‘It was avery well supported event and<br />
we had agenerous array of nonperishable<br />
items. We talk alot about the downturn,<br />
but there was areal generosity of spirit.’’<br />
Mrs Black says the council chambers<br />
was ‘‘completely full of food’’ to support<br />
three food banks in the district.<br />
Rangiora and Kaiapoi both had extra<br />
help this year, with many volunteers being<br />
part of the collection.<br />
Mrs Wright says both towns had an<br />
exceptional donation of food, with<br />
Rangiora’s being the largest in recent<br />
years.<br />
‘‘From school children, collecting for the<br />
first time, to the regulars who come out<br />
every year to simply do their bit, we could<br />
not do this without their support.’’<br />
She thanked all the people who keep on<br />
giving every year.<br />
‘‘I could not name them all here, but we<br />
do appreciate your efforts very much<br />
indeed.’’<br />
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