Pride of NZ: Family loss prompts couple's foundation

Maraekakaho's Christine Town-Treweek is "humbled" to be nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award. Photo / Paul Taylor

Christine Town-Treweek knows from experience how far a hot meal goes in the children's ward at Hawke's Bay Hospital.

She and her husband Mark are the founders of The Rose Foundation, which serves free hearty meals to the parents and families of sick children.

Ms Town-Treweek said it was "humbling" to be nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award for her efforts.

"We're absolutely gobsmacked that someone nominated us."

The Foundation was set up after their 5-year-old daughter, Tynesha, died of a rare genetic disease.

"We lost our daughter two and a half years ago and ,in the last year of her life, we lived pretty much in hospital full-time between Hawke's Bay and Starship in Auckland.

"We were trying to think of something we could do to give back to the families and staff on the ward, in a practical way. The hospital doesn't have the budget to feed families on the ward, so what we came up with was to feed people."

She and her husband Mark run Stoney Creek Ranch children's camp at Maraekakaho, and use their commercial kitchen at the camp to cook the meals. Her team of volunteers delivers the food to the hospital and there is a constant supply frozen on site. Families can re-heat the meals when they find a spare minute in the hospital ward. The food ranges from macaroni and cheese to desserts and cookies.

"When you're on that ward, a treat is a lovely thing," she said.

Christine and Mark oversee the cooking of the meals, organise the volunteers, liaise with hospital staff and fundraise to keep the Foundation going.

-Nominations can be made until June 14 at www.prideofnzawards.co.nz.