CHB Bookarama boxes are empty ... but not for long

The empty boxes from the CHB Bookarama are heading back to Takapau to be filled with donations for next year’s event.

Central Hawke’s Bay’s bookworms have barely had time to clean their reading glasses and settle down with a post-Bookarama cuppa and a tome or two, and already the Takapau Lions are planning Bookarama 2025.

And not only that, but they have already redirected much of the money made this year out into the community.

“It’s no use having the money sitting in the bank,” says Lions club member and Bookarama co-ordinator Mike Tod, who says this year’s event was “the best one we’ve had”.

“On the Friday morning we usually get two or three book dealers come through and scoop up bargains. That didn’t happen this year so all the books sold were to individual customers. And the customers just kept on coming - we are usually busiest before 11am on the Friday, but this year we were busy all day and we couldn’t have been happier.”

Over the three days sales rocketed to a massive $24,800.

“There are still some costs to come out, but the bulk of that money is going back into our community,” Mike says.

So far the funds have gone to the Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter, Ruahine Cadets, Camp Quality, CHB Libraries for the Lions Book Collection, Connect Youth & Community Trust, Ronald MacDonald House, Swim 4 Life, Autism NZ for the Hawke’s Bay special needs party, Waipukurau Arts and Crafts for children and caregivers craft sessions, and to the Lions International Fund and Lloyd Morgan Trust.

Mike says Takapau Lions thanks everyone for their donations of books, music and puzzles - and thanks them for coming and buying more to replace them.

“I think some of the books and puzzles go round and around.”

“Thanks also to the businesses that support us - Winloves 100% Waipukurau and Tim Chote Appliances Waipawa for being collection points, and William Chote for the use of a truck to transport the books.”