Whānau fun at home after Children’s Day event postponed

Hemi Jahnke gets Matariki creative at home in a Facebook competition run through the E Tu Elgin page after the Children’s Day event at Stand Tu Maia village was called off because of the weather.Picture supplied

The weather forced the cancellation of Sunday’s Children’s Day event but organisers still brought joy to some tamariki.

Activities were planned at the Stand Tu Maia village on Sunday to celebrate all tamariki of Tairāwhiti as part of the national Children’s Day kaupapa.

The event had previously been postponed due to Cyclone Gabrielle.

“We said if it was just rain or showers we could work with that,” Te Whatu Ora suicide prevention postvention coordinator and organiser Hineiti Monika said.

“But because of the heavy rain warning we did not want to encourage people to be out.

“It was a really hard decision because this was our second postponement.”

The event will be run at next year’s national Children’s Day — held on the first Sunday in March.

“The cancellation was guttng for us all but we wanted to ensure whānau still got some joy.”

Buses had been organised from Uawa Tolaga Bay and Te Karaka to transport people to the village the event, and some whānau turned up at the departure sites.

Those who showed up at Te Whare Hauora o Te Aitanga a Hauiti in Uawa were provided with activity packs and kai.

For those in Te Karaka, the team went to the bus stop and the local shop to deliver prizes and kai to people who had arrived earlier in the day for the ride.

Other perishable food items donated by Walter Findlay Ltd and LeaderBrand were given to Stand Tu Maia, Salvation Army and SuperGrans Tairāwhiti on Monday.

In  a different way to win prizes, Hineiti asked on the E Tu Elgin Facebook page for whānau to send in pictures of how their tamariki would be spending their day out of the rain.

Seven whānau won Odeon Multiplex and That Hangi Place vouchers.

“Tamariki were doing various activities, including Matariki-related ideas, making masks, dressing up, making a cob loaf for grandparents, watching movies, art and crafts, writing poetry and having a PJs day.”

The remainder of the prizes will be saved for the next event.

“Big thanks to everyone involved and we will be in touch closer to March.”