Cash donations for Christmas Cheer Appeal close to $8000

Hena Thorn from NZME with some of the great pile of donated Christmas gifts which have poured into the Hastings office. Photo / Paul Taylor

A surge in cash donations over the past few days has boosted the Christmas Cheer Appeal close to the $8000 mark.

Businesses, community groups and organisations and individuals have all got in behind the annual appeal which will make Christmas a lot more festive for those less fortunate out there.

Thousands of Napier and Hastings people, of all ages, will benefit from the generosity being shown.

For the third year running Grow HP, which has offices in Napier and Hastings, has stepped up to the mark with a great donation — adding $1000 to the appeal fund.

The company is a specialist human resources consultancy dedicated to employers, their managers and in-house human resources and health and safety specialists, who are dedicated to doing things for their communities — and the latest donation pretty well sums that up.

Service clubs have also been a long-standing core of the appeal and once again they have been generous with their community support.

Last Saturday Taradale Rotary Club members staged their annual "spin the wheel" fun day in central Taradale, giving away vouchers and prizes but also collecting for the appeal.

Club spokesman Keith Lines said in past years they had passed on some of what they raised to the appeal.

"But this year we gave the whole lot."

It came to $700.

Lions clubs have also been stalwarts of appeal support, with the Napier Host Lions collecting up $500, while the Taradale RSA crew, also long-time supporters, put through $500.

The gift side has also been surging along nicely, with Iona College in Havelock North putting together a selection of great gifts and Havelock North Primary coming up with boxes of food and gift items.

Golfers have also been up with the generous play — the Hastings Golf Club dropping off four boxes of foodstuffs while the Maraenui Womens' Golf Club collected up $365.

The gift parcels will also be topped up with great entry vouchers kindly passed on by Par 2, the Napier Aquatic Centre, Reading Cinemas, LaserForce and the National Aquarium.

Previously acknowledged $3470

Grow Human Resources Ltd $1000

Taradale Rotary Club $700

Maraenui Womens Golf Club $365

Waimarama Maori Tours $250

Anonymous $200

Lions Club Hastings $200

Taradale RSA $500

Napier Host Lions $500

Rotary Club of Ahuriri $250

Shirley and Bill Dalton $250

Bay Tyres - Leo Van Berkel $200

Total $7885