Hospice trailer raffle raises more than $16k

Paul McGuinness, right, was the winner of a trailer full of garden and DIY goodies worth $2249, the main prize in the Hospice Tairāwhiti annual raffle. The raffle is supported by Mitre 10, and this year raised more than $16,000 for the hospice service. Mr McGuinness and his wife Deirdre are pictured with Mitre 10 owner Geoff Taylor (second from left) and Mitre 10 workers Simon Mostert and Rebecca Swain. Picture by Paul Rickard

An annual raffle has raised more than $16,000 for Hospice Tairāwhiti.

A total of $14,810 was raised through ticket sales and another $1820 through donations.

“Geoff and Carolyn Taylor, owner/operator Mitre 10 Gisborne, have once again supported Hospice Tairāwhiti by raising funds through the recent raffle of a Jobmate trailer and goods to the value of $2249,” a Hospice Tairāwhiti spokeswoman said.

“The Mitre 10 Gisborne team got behind the raffle to the extent that they moved the trailer filled with garden product weekly, from the Mitre 10 store to the Hospice Shop where the trailer was squeezed in among the shop items for sale.  Obviously, the public thought this was an amazing prize package as 2962 raffle tickets were sold in a matter of weeks.

“Hospice Tairāwhiti is partly funded by the Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand but as a not-for-profit organisation the hospice still needs to raise $750,000 each year to ensure that all palliative care services remain free of charge in our community.  Community support of fundraising initiatives like this raffle by Mitre 10 Gisborne enables Hospice Tairāwhiti to do this.”

The winner of the trailer, which was the first prize, was Paul McGuinness.