Napier posties, fitness folk, golfers and some youngsters have helped give the Hawke's Bay Christmas Cheer Appeal a terrific late boost.
Lorraine and Jane from NZ Post called in on Thursday morning with three large mail bags filled with beautifully wrapped gifts for boys and girls.
Usually at Christmas Napier's hard-working posties have an end-of-year Secret Santa gathering where they buy something for each other. But as Jane explained, this year they wanted to do something for those less fortunate in the community.
The crew at Bay City Gym, and their many clients, also wanted to do something. The result was two big boxes of tinned fruit and veges, noodles, pasta, cereals and chocolate.
As the cheer crew from Napier Community Development called by the Napier office of Hawke's Bay Today to pick up the many goodies, Napier mum Leanne Eagles and her youngsters Gemma, 10, and Matthew, 7, arrived with a box of wonderful goodies.
The children have been donating to the appeal for several years now, and Gemma simply said: "We like to do it".
Their proud mum said they were aware there were kids out in the community who would not be as fortunate as they were at Christmas, and they wanted to help. After leaving the office they were on their way to the SPCA - to drop off a donation there.
In Hastings, the great golfers at the Hastings Golf Club came up with four boxes of goodies. Great stuff, as it was with the staff and families at ABC Hastings Central and at Cranford Hospice.
The cash fund has also had a late boost and has hit the five figure mark.
Businesses like Crombie Lockwood, Maxims Accounting, and service and community groups like the Taradale Rotary Club, Taradale Senior Citizens, Taradale RSA and their concert party group all stepped up, as did the Hastings Mayoral relief fund.
Crombie Lockwood, Maxims and Maraenui Pharmacy also put together gift parcels, and the kids at Taradale Intermediate made up a great food hamper after taking along a can each.
Countdown came through with a $50 food voucher.
"It has been really good this year, better than we expected it would be," said Jill Affleck, who has helped co-ordinate the Napier side of the appeal for the past 15 years.
The appeal ends today, with the last-minute goodies and gifts set for equally last-minute emergency cheer parcels which can be put together.