Girls' gala will aid parents after fire

HELPING HANDS: Caitlin Jones and her sisters are fundraising to help get their Welcome Bay parents through another year of farming after a blaze destroyed equipment and machinery inside their woolshed. Photo / George Novak

Four Bay sisters are holding a special fundraising gala day this weekend to help their parents buy a replacement hay baler after it was destroyed in a fire almost three months ago.

On July 20 Kevin and Lindi Jones were left devastated after a fire ripped through their woolshed and workshop, destroying nearly all their farming equipment collected over generations.

Mr Jones suffered minor burns to his hands and his uncle Graham Jones was treated for serious burns on his back after trying to save family heirlooms. The fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault inside the shed.

The couple's daughters have banded together to try to raise funds to buy a second-hand hay baler for their parents as the insurance payout was not sufficient to make the $18,000 purchase.

Daughter Cat Jones, 28, said the "Seaview Gala Day" fundraiser would be held at the Tauranga Riding for the Disabled centre, 44 Ngapeke Rd, Welcome Bay, on Sunday from 11am until 5pm. Miss Jones said the gala would include games, workshops, food stalls, a craft market, a raffle, children's activities, and a silent auction.

"We want to turn something tragic into something positive, not just for our family, but for the whole community, to thank everyone for jumping to support us when the fire happened," she said.

Miss Jones said the gala day would include games such as egg-and-spoon and three-legged races, and the workshops were aimed at teaching people new skills such as basic weaving and guitar playing. "Like most stoic farmers my father is back working on the farm and while my parents are coping with the day-to day-farm activities the biggest loss for them was their hay baler," she said.

Miss Jones said without it her parents could not make hay to keep their cows and horses fed during winter, nor make hay for neighbours which was a crucial part of their yearly income.

Metro Marketing designer Lisa Lewis said she and other staff from the company would be manning stalls at the gala day and had donated products and services.

"Cat used to work for our company. She is such a lovely person and we know this fire has been quite devastating for her family, so we decided we wanted to support the fundraiser in some way".

Miss Jones said if the day proved successful she was keen to see the Seaview Gala Day become a yearly fundraiser to support local farmers in need of assistance.