Daffodil Day brightens up Dannevirke

The winning quiz team WBL Girls, from left, Kerri Verwaayen, Catherine Galloway, Denise McGregor, Tracey Friend, Moira Paewai and Shirley Henley. Photo / Dave Murdoch

It may have been overcast, and at times damp, but Dannevirke was bursting with colour for Daffodil Day on Friday.

Yellow and blue balloons brightened the centre of High St and the five stalls selling daffodils and Cancer Society merchandise provided plenty of colour.

The stalls were set up and ready to go by 8.30am and business boomed with stocks of daffodils dwindling fast by midday.

This year's Daffodil Day spilled over into Saturday with a stall set up outside New World and manned by volunteers and member of the Dannevirke Men's Cancer Group.

Around 70 support group members and volunteers were involved in Daffodil Day.

The Dannevirke support group is fortunate that it does not have to buy in daffodils for this fundraiser.

They receive around 70 buckets of the blooms that are grown by locals. Among the growers are Gill Hall and Kay Nilson, Richard and Nancy Parker, Viv and Grant Trotter, Simon Herbert, Dave and Joy Murdoch, James and Delwyn Walker, Dot and Quentin Hooper-Smith, Jed Murphy, Diana Morris and Robin Barnett.

While Daffodil Day is the feature event of the fundraiser, there are other activities leading up to it.

On Wednesday night a quiz was held at the Dannevirke Services and Citizens Club. This was co-ordinated by For Homes For Farms this year, with the help of Dannevirke ANZ Bank staff.

A total of 26 teams took part in the quiz with WBL Girls taking the honours on the night. As in other years there were spot prizes and an auction of goods generously donated by the community.

Craig Boyden of For Homes For Farms said it was likely the event raised around $10,000.

A store window competition was also held in the run-up to Daffodil Day. The window of PGG Wrightson in Barraud St won the competition from eight other equally outstanding entries.

All the staff worked on the display which started with a very large daffodil, the idea of the store's customer service representative Helen Harris, and evolved with input from all other staff members and their spouses.

Their prize is morning tea provided by support group members.

Since 1990, Daffodil Day has inspired people to come together and support the Cancer Society's work as well as providing an opportunity to raise awareness of cancer in New Zealand.

Donations will go towards vital scientific research into the causes and treatment of all types of cancer, as well as providing a wide range of support services, education and awareness campaigns/programmes for people affected by cancer in your area.

Last year just over $10,000 was raised in Dannevirke on Daffodil Day.