Editorial: Busload boosts appeal

The Fill the Bus Christmas can drive has given the foodbank a massive boost. Photo / Ben Fraser

The Salvation Army Foodbank shelves have been boosted by a truckload - well, a busload - of much-needed food.

In a break with tradition, the can drives of previous years were replaced by a 12-hour marathon Fill the Bus effort yesterday led by The Hits 97.5, with support from the Rotorua Daily Post, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Reesby Buses.

But the real stars of the day were the people of Rotorua.

Pupils from schools around the city formed orderly queues to file on to the bus and drop off their contributions.

Call me a softie but watching the video on our website (www.dailypost.co.nz) of kids lining up to donate actually brought a tear to my eye.

What a great lesson for our children - that while they may not able to change the world, they can still make a difference in their own small way.

And by the looks of the smiles on those faces, helping felt pretty good.

Rotorua Salvation Army commanding officer Major Bill Millar agreed, saying the excitement of the children was a highlight of the day.

"It is wonderful they are being taught it is okay to be generous and to give to others," he told us.

Local businesses also got behind the cause, staff forming human chains to load the bus with boxloads of cans.

By the end of the day, the bus was chocker - the final tally of cans should be known today. It was a heart-warming day, a fantastic display of generosity and our thanks go out to all who contributed. But now is not the time to rest on our laurels.

There are still two weeks of the Christmas appeal left and more is needed to eclipse last year's $44,000 effort. On almost a daily basis we are hearing about clubs, schools and businesses getting behind the appeal and we look forward to sharing their efforts with you over the next fortnight.

If you haven't gathered your cans together, it's not too late.

-Details on how to donate, page 3.