A Poppy Day of their own

Registered nurse Michelle Roche presenting the $600 raised by Kaitaia Hospital staff for Poppy Day to Kaitaia (Far North) RSA president Angel Erstich. Picture / Peter Jackson

The Incident Management Team at Kaitaia Hospital, whose job it has been to prepare for a potential influx of Covid-19 patients, has been busy over recent weeks, but not too busy to regret that there would be no Poppy Day appeal this year.

The pandemic put paid to the nationwide collection, but the IMT's managers, nurses, doctors, dentist, occupational therapists and social workers, who meet daily to discuss and update operational tasks, agreed that it was a shame that it wasn't going to take place, and that they would not be able to stand united on Anzac Day.

They couldn't do much about the latter, but all agreed to organise their own in-house poppy appeal, with the aim of raising $400 for the local RSA.

"Our appeal was featured in our hospital newsletter every day for the week following Anzac Day," registered nurse Michelle Roche said.

"We didn't realise that not only were we as an IMT team feeling sad, but so were the rest of the hospital staff."

As is the way of the world the odd one patted their pockets and professed to be clean out of small change, but the great majority gave generously, without actually buying a poppy, for which RSA president Angel Erstich was very grateful.

"We are hoping to organise a Poppy Day later in the year, perhaps around armistice day, but this donation is very welcome. Thank you all," she said.