Trailer won in raffle given back to hospice

Shane Maaka with grandchildren Greg and Leah Maaka and the trailer he recently won in the Otago Community Hospice raffle. Photo / Peter McIntosh

Shane Maaka had never won anything in his life.

So, imagine his surprise when he won a brand new 2m x 1m galvanised and caged tipping trailer, after buying 20 books of raffle tickets to help raise funds for the Otago Community Hospice.

“The problem is, I don’t need a trailer.”

He said he was like many people who often bought raffle tickets because they were for a good cause, but never really expected to win.

“Don’t get me wrong - I’m delighted to win it. But I never expected to win. I never win anything.

“I just bought them as a way to donate money to the hospice; such a great cause, 100 per cent.”

Determined to give as much money to the cause as he can, the Save Money Skips owner now plans to give the hospice another bite at the cherry by listing the trailer online on Marketplace and adding a nine-metre skip hire to it, to raise its value to more than $3000.

He said people were bidding on it and the price had already reached about $2000.

When bidding closed, the highest amount offered would be accepted, and the money would be given straight to the Otago Community Hospice, he said.

He hoped the trailer would bring a bit of extra delight to the staff at the hospice this Christmas.

Otago Community Hospice chief executive Ginny Green said the trailer raffle was a long-standing fundraiser for the hospice, run by Dunedin’s Rotary clubs.

“It has been an absolute pearler for us, at a time of the year when we’re really in need of the money.

“What makes me laugh is that I often sit and sell these raffle tickets, and all the people that I come across are desperate to win the trailer.

“And here’s this guy who doesn’t want it, and he’s going to give the money back to us.

“Getting the raffle proceeds as well as the trailer proceeds from Shane is amazing.

“It’s very kind of him and it’s much appreciated.”