Pride of NZ: Our local heroes

Organiser Trena Lile helped log the name of every poppy maker. Photo / Dean Purcell

Hundreds of Kiwis are being honoured by their communities for showing exceptional generosity, drive and courage in the annual Pride of NZ Awards. The awards, proudly sponsored by the Herald, TSB Bank and The Hits, have six categories - Bravery & Heroism, Community Spirit, Fundraiser of the Year, Emergency Services, Environment and Lifetime Achievement. Readers can vote for the TSB Bank People's Choice Award once regional winners are announced in August. National winners will be named in September. Ecostore founder Malcolm Rands and Hospice NZ chief executive Mary Schumacher join Silver Fern Maria Tutaia, Herald managing editor Shayne Currie and The Hits host Polly Gillespie in judging the regional awards. Today, Eva Corlett profiles five nominees.

Trena Lile and Lisa Wallace

Community Spirit

When Trena Lile and Lisa Wallace asked New Zealand for 5000 handmade poppies, they received 32,000.

Poppies started arriving by the thousand, each week, for weeks on end.

Each poppy - made by kindergarten children, retirement villages, craft groups and individuals - was sewn, stitched, crocheted, knitted or cut and pasted. Some were sent with messages of thanks and dedications, some with letters relaying stories of loved ones lost in war, others with photos and names.

The Auckland duo set about logging the names of each maker and compiling the messages into a book. The poppies were then hand-stitched on to 26 panels and presented to organisations across the country in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings.

What struck Mrs Wallace during this process was the volume of stories still being told about those who died in war 100 years ago.

"They aren't forgotten, their stories are still living on through the memories of family members," she said.

The number of people wanting to get involved was "overwhelming".

For their dedication to the commemorations, Mrs Wallace and Mrs Lile have been nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award, in the Community Spirit category.

"These ladies have worked tirelessly for months to co-ordinate a wonderful display and tribute to our service people," their nominator said.

It was the first time they had been involved in a project of this scale.

Mrs Wallace had seen an Australian group calling for contributions, so she asked them if she could set up a New Zealand satellite group. They agreed. She created a Facebook page to put the word out.

It started slowly, taking about seven months to reach 5000 poppies.

But the craft groups wanted to continue creating, and raised the goal to 18,500 poppies - one for each soldier lost. Before long, over two years, they reached 32,000.

The panels are displayed across the country including 11 at the Air Force Museum in Christchurch, nine at the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum and three at the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre in Blenheim.

"The project gave people a focus and a tangible means of honouring our service people," their nominator said.

The pair are looking forward to new projects, but hope to avoid seeing a poppy for some time to come.

Kelly Bleakley.

Kelly Bleakley

Community Spirit

Kelly Bleakley is one young woman shifting perceptions about Scouting New Zealand.

In 2012, the now 27-year-old Aucklander became the Scouts' youngest national commissioner - the most senior role for a volunteer.

"There's this myth that it's boys only but it's not and hasn't been for almost 25 years," she said.

Despite working fulltime for Fonterra, Mrs Bleakley volunteers between 20 to 40 hours a week for Scouts.

Her role requires her to provide inspiration and motivation to the scouts and volunteers alike.

The key to her successful leadership at such a young age is "positivity and relationships", she said.

"I go into every situation wanting to get the best outcome and I try to get on with everyone."

For her dedication to the Scouting community, Mrs Bleakley has been nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award, in the Community Spirit category.

"As the first young person in the position, Kelly has helped transform the organisation through her passion, energy, enthusiasm and talents, in particular advocating for Scouting to be youth-led throughout," her nominator said.

Mrs Bleakley joined Scouts aged eight, after deciding Girl Guides was not for her. She had particular interest in the outdoors experience, camping and community focus of the organisation.

She cites the personal development and leadership opportunities as something she enjoyed without realising it to be a bonus for her future.

Through her work at Fonterra, Mrs Bleakley has been fortunate to travel across New Zealand and checks in with the Scouts in each place she visits.

"Kelly has been able to connect with, inspire and be the voice of 15,000 young people at 400 groups," her nominator said.

Her focus is driving forward the new 10-year strategy which pushes for greater youth leadership.

While the organisation has always held youth at its centre, it is now embracing decision-making from Scouts under 18 years old.

"For some leaders it's been their thing for 50 years, so it's a bit of a shock to have young people telling them what to do!" she said.

Pride of NZ nominee Margaret Hallenberg. Photo / Dean Purcell

Margaret Hallenberg

Lifetime Achievement

To Margaret Hallenberg, Special Olympics NZ is not just a sporting event, but a family for people with intellectual disabilities.

"They are joining together regularly once a week for training," she said.

"You get to see your buddy you saw last week, or someone's had a birthday ... and someone has a new baby in their family, and somebody's mum has gone to hospital.

"It's bigger than the sport."

Mrs Hallenberg has been involved with Special Olympics since 1987 in a multitude of roles, including Upper North Island chairperson and trustee. Now she's the secretary of Special Olympics Auckland.

Mrs Hallenberg's own son and brothers have disabilities and she understands the needs involved.

A school relief teacher of 45 years, she works in an entirely voluntary capacity with the Special Olympics.

It's an opportunity to "provide welfare and wellbeing" she said.

"We can step in for those who have ageing parents or their parents have passed on and they have nobody.

"We can make sure there is a birthday parcel, or Christmas parcel under the tree, so they have a better life than they otherwise would have sitting at home alone."

"Margaret's efforts have made a real difference to lives of hundreds of adults and teenagers with intellectual disabilities," her nominator said.

The Special Olympics is an international movement started by Eunice Kennedy, designed to provide options for the intellectually disabled, but otherwise able-bodied, to participate in sport. It gained momentum in New Zealand in 1987.

The first stages of competition are all-inclusive - allowing competitors to play against others of a similar ability.

The regional, national and international levels are considered more competitive. For each international event, the New Zealand division aims to have at least one athlete compete.

"It gives them an opportunity to participate in something they may never have otherwise been able to do," Mrs Hallenberg said.

Pride of New Zealand nominee Sharon Morris. Photo / Dean Purcell

Sharon Morris

Fundraiser of the Year

Hibiscus Coast hot rod fan Sharon Morris has figured out a way to turn her hobby into a fundraising bonanza.

Drive-in movies, Miss Vintage beauty contests, rock and roll shows and 350 hot rod cars turn Orewa into a 1950s theme park over Auckland Anniversary Weekend each year, and have so far raised more than $74,000 for Westpac Rescue Helicopters.

The festival has been running since 2010 and Miss Morris, a business owner and solo mum of two, has to start organising the event a year in advance to get everything done.

Her Hibiscus Rodders club helps her out, and on the day "a good 30 people work really, really hard with gates, stalls and parking", Miss Morris says.

However, she says, they tell her she does "98 per cent of it". For her efforts, Miss Morris has been nominated for a Pride of New Zealand award in the Fundraiser of the Year category.

"If every community had a character like Sharon in their midst, then that community would most certainly be richer for it," her nominator said.

Miss Morris lost her brother 17 years ago in a Westpac Helicopter incident.

What then began as a recipe book to raise money for the organisation turned into a festival after a brainstorming session with friends.

The recipe book is still in a folder, six years later.

"Every year the shows get bigger and better, with more people."

This year about 10,000 visitors came to the event each day. "People from kids, to teens, to golden oldies come along and just love it," she says.

The Hot Rod cars inspire nostalgia in the older generations.

Some recognise a car similar to one they once owned, or they reminisce about their first dates "in one of those", referring to a car, Miss Morris says.

She has "always loved cars that are a bit different", adding that her own love of hot rods was inspired by her father's 1959 Chevrolet Impala.

Aside from promoting hot rods and raising funds, Miss Morris' vision is to help small local businesses and promote a sense of community pride in the area.

Pride of NZ nominee Lawrence Pope.

Lawrence Pope

Emergency Services

Lawrence Pope plays so many roles in his Picton community it is hard to keep track. He works and volunteers with St John, is the voluntary medical officer and treasurer for the Marlborough Coastguard and helps the search and rescue team.

He sits on the school board and offers his building services for good causes. He is a husband, and father to two teenagers.

Mr Pope's voluntary efforts have earned him a nomination for a Pride of New Zealand Award, in the Emergency Services category.

"He deserves to be known and recognised for the great things he does," his nominator said.

"He does so much for the community, never spending a moment to himself ... and never complaining."

Mr Pope signed up for St John 20 or so years ago as a way to get to know people in his new Picton community.

"And it worked," he said.

Until recently, the self-employed builder worked voluntarily in his other roles but was offered two days a week with St John transferring patients between hospitals.

His colleagues said it would take three or four people to replace him, when they understood his voluntary hours were decreasing, Mr Pope said.

He is sort of a "one man band".

If someone were to get lost in the Marlborough Sounds, he could search for them, treat them, transport them and transfer them to the hospital.

His medical efforts have influenced those closest to him, with his son, 18, training to be a paramedic and his daughter, 14, interested in nursing.

And in 2013 his St John team rallied in support when his wife was diagnosed with cancer.

The Pride of New Zealand Awards are proudly brought to you by The New Zealand Herald, The Hits and TSB Bank.
Nominations for the 2015 awards have now closed.
To see more stories of our wonderful nominees click here.
For more information on the awards go to the official website.