Local Focus: Christmas is a time of giving

The Fill The Bus campaign's last stop was at Rotorua Primary School on Tuesday where hundreds of food items and gifts were collected.

The event was organised by the Rotorua Daily Post, The Hits and the Rotorua Weekender.

Last year was a record year with just under 10,000 items of food collected.

The Hits Presenter Paul Hickey said the food drive was in its seventh year.

"It's just a day where it's just so empowering, seeing the generosity and the positivity community-wide from the schools - the 5-year-olds.

"We've been to early childcare centres, to big industry, where their workforces have collected across the course of the last couple of weeks.

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"It's just everybody coming together for one genuine cause and it's so rewarding to know that you're making a difference for the community."

Year 1 to 2 teacher Margie Te Aonui said whānau were pleased to koha kai to those less fortunate.

The food collected supplements the Salvation Army's foodbank, which feeds thousands of people each year.

Hickey said much of the food was for Christmas, but the food drive was also about keeping the foodbank's shelves full for the first part of next year.

"It's not just about Christmas when there's people in the community who need help and the assistance from the Salvation Army."