Editorial: It's a joy to salute our local heroes

The selflessness and compassion these people show to their fellow human beings is inspirational. Photo / Paul Taylor

Our region has some truly amazing people and I was lucky enough to meet some of them on Wednesday night.

We held the Pride of New Zealand lower North Island regional awards at our offices in Hastings and what a great night it was.

For those of you who don't know, the Pride of New Zealand awards - in their inaugural year - aim to recognise New Zealanders who make the most positive, uplifting and inspiring contributions to their community. The awards are supported by the New Zealand Herald and APN regional newspapers, including Hawke's Bay Today, with The Hits radio station and TSB Bank.

The calibre of the finalists was quite outstanding and it was a shame there had to be winners in the different categories, because as far as I am concerned they are all winners.

What struck me about all the finalists was their humility. Almost to a person, they seemed shocked that they had been chosen for the contribution they make to society. It was common to hear phrases like: "It was a team effort" or "I was just playing my part".

The selflessness and compassion these people show to their fellow human beings is inspirational and should make the rest of us look inward to see what we can do for others. It certainly has given me cause for reflection.

So congratulations to Kathleen Mato, the Swannell family, Hai Tong Too, Wade Kelly, Colin Anderson and Wayne Stevens on the awards. They now progress to the national awards ceremony in Auckland next month. For the other finalists, their achievements are not minimised in any way. Thank you for your service to your communities.