Rotary Club still collecting despite Diamond concert cancellation

Rotary Napier crew (L-R) Shona Bayliss, Bruce Jenks, Carol Hall, and Renske Speekenbrink with the 'Diamond' flags now being auctioned as a fundraiser. Photo / Paul Taylor

The Mission Concert has long been a valuable collecting ground for the Rotary Club of Napier, whose cheerful volunteers walked the packed hillsides with their collection buckets.

The club has worked with the Mission since the first concert. Large teams of volunteers looked after parking and in return were given access to the great crowds for bucket collections, gathering about $300,000 over the years for local charities.

About 100 volunteer collectors were set to be part of this year's concert, but plans for what would have been the big Neil Diamond 50 Year Anniversary Tour concert at the Mission on St Patrick's Day dissolved when it was cancelled because of Diamond's health issues.

"The Mission has always been our biggest fundraiser so it was a blow," said Carol Hall, who manages the Mission fundraising expeditions, adding though that their immediate thoughts were for Diamond.

"We really feel for Neil."

However, all was not lost, thanks to SEL's concert director Garry Craft who came up with a plan.

As part of the concert buildup, 37 street flags were produced as part of Diamond's global anniversary tour.

They were put on poles throughout Napier — until the sad news about the cancellation saw them all come down.

But now they are about to go up again, in 37 places their new owners, and Neil Diamond fans, will decide upon.

Craft told Hall the club could auction the flags for local charities.

"Full credit goes to Garry — he has been amazing.

"When he came up with this we were so grateful."

Club members Shona Bayliss and Bruce Jenks stepped up to steer the online auctions of the 37 flags through Trade Me.

"The flags, which measure 1800mm by 950mm, went up for auction on their 37 separate sites last Thursday night and the reaction was immediate, as thousands of Mission Concert Club members and Neil Diamond fans had learned what was about to happen on the concert site."

The bids have climbed, and a couple of the flags were sitting on $237 and $255.

The average appeared to be around $150, and Hall said Napier Rotary would be looking at around $5550.

Although the amount was probably down on some of the big bucket collections in the past, it would still create plenty of smiles.

Rotary had planned to focus on Plunket and Age Concern for the concert collection and they were likely to be the main recipients, among others.

Mission Estate chief executive Peter Holley said the concert had always very much been a community event, and the bond forged with the Rotary Club of Napier reflected that.

"If we can do anything to help the community we will step up — there was no hesitation in doing this and we are so pleased at the way the public have taken to this."

Auction details can be found on the Mission Concert website.