Monique Eades wins sports volunteer of the year award

Monique Eades is the Lotto Sport Maker of the year for her work within the Hockey community. She was presented the award by Mike Duthie from Lotto (left) and Daniel Harrison from Sport BOP. Photo/ Andrew Warner

Tauranga's Monique Eades spends so much of her spare time doing what she does in her fulltime job.

Eades, a fulltime teacher, has been named the Lotto Sports Maker of the Year for her work within the hockey realm including coaching, supporting and representing.

She was nominated for the award after being nominated for the award by Hockey Tauranga for her efforts including being the chairwoman of the Kwik Sticks (intermediate) committee, being the draws and results steward for the Kwik Sticks, co-chairing the representative committee which provides support for rep managers, being the manager of a college 1st XI team and a coach of an intermediate team.

Eades had been involved in the Tauranga hockey community for seven years and yesterday was acknowledged for all she had done at a surprise prizegiving.

Eades is a teacher at Tauranga Special School with her classroom on-site at Tauranga Intermediate School where the surprise took place in front of representatives from Sport Bay of Plenty, Tauranga Hockey and Lotto NZ.

Surrounded by the familiarities of her classroom Eades thanked everyone as she received a certificate and a bunch of flowers.

She made a special mention to her family for allowing her to fulfil her "passion", especially her husband who she joked had become a "hockey widow".

As the Lotto Sport Maker of the Year, Eades has won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Hockey World Championships in Auckland later in November, a $500 Prezzy Card, a signed Black Sticks hockey stick as well as $1000 of Lotto sports gear for being one of 10 finalists.

Corporate communications co-ordinator at Lotto NZ Mike Duthie said Eades was the "most deserving" candidate as she put a lot of her spare time into volunteering and also worked fulltime as a teacher.

Mr Duthie said the Bay of Plenty region had the highest number of volunteers nominated with 85 nominations. There were a total of 690 across all of New Zealand.

Tauranga Special School Principal Barrie Wickens said he was pleased for Eades and acknowledged the team of people who helped her achieve so much in the hockey community.

"We're chuffed for Monique," he said.