Police charity auction record set to go

Pete Blackwell says the response to the call for donated items had been humbling.

Tauranga Police CIB charity auction founding trustee Pete Blackwell says this year's event will break fundraising records.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the flagship fundraiser and organisers have decided to call time after tomorrow's auction at ASB Arena at Baypark.

Last year's auction raised $282,500 and the final auction is set to smash the $2 million mark in total funds raised.

Mr Blackwell said he was sure the Bay's flagship event was one of the biggest fundraisers, if not the biggest, of its kind in the country.

"It's going to be a pretty emotional day ... the end of an era and all the team are very confident it's going to be our biggest fundraiser auction yet and we will smash records."

As well as a live auction, there will be a silent auction involving 188 items.

Mr Blackwell said the response to the call for donated items had been humbling. The items included $10,000 cash from Paul and Cheryl Adams, $5000 each from Ballance Agri-Nutrients and Doug Owens, and a crime victim's offer to give a $1000 court-ordered reparation payment once it was received.

The auction, which Sir Colin Meads, Sir Gordon Tietjens and Sir Michael Fay will attend, is again a sellout. Guest speaker is former Aussie cricketer Greg Richie and MC is Jackie Clarke.

People can still donate cash by going to the website taurangapolicecharity.co.nz.

Recipients

The major beneficiaries from this year's proceeds will be Acorn Foundation and Tauranga St John, which intend using their share of the proceeds towards a new base at 17th Ave.

Also benefiting will be Amped4Life, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Decision Reach Out (Toro Mai) Trust, Kathleen Kilgour Centre, Merivale School and Te Tuinga Whanau Support Services.