Editorial: Excellent effort fills foodbank

Salvation Army community ministries manager Shelly Fischer says the community support during the appeal has helped the foodbank stay open. 02 September 2015 Daily Post photograph by Stephen Parker

NICE work Rotorua.

About two weeks ago Salvation Army commanding officer Major Bill Millar told us the Sallies' foodbank was in a desperate state and fast running out of food.

It was getting to the point the service, which acts as a backstop for those going through hard times, was in danger of closing.

To those of us who had taken part in previous Rotorua Daily Post Christmas appeals and can drives for the foodbank, that came as a shock.

We knew we had to help, so the Foodbank SOS emergency appeal was launched.

As reported today, in that short space of time the community has donated $23,000 in food and cash.

The Sallies are now in a good position and the empty shelves of two weeks ago are looking much healthier.

That's incredible and goes to show what we can achieve as a community. We know there are a lot of worthy causes and charities out there, all of which deserve your support. So thank you to those who dug deep for the foodbank. Your help may well have given a hungry family a meal. It's not saving the world, but to that family it may have been almost as good.

While the official appeal is now over, those shelves will continuously need replenishing - so why not drop in with a can or two every now or then. That way, we may be able to avoid further SOS calls.

It's just two weeks until the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup and everyone is gearing up, ready to support the All Blacks.

It was fantastic to see the ABs getting out and about around New Zealand this week, with our local lads Sam Cane and Liam Messam proving a hit in Whakatane when they dropped in with Tawera Kerr-Barlow.

But one fan has taken his support to the extreme - with Graham Pink getting captain fantastic Richie McCaw inked on his forearm yesterday. Now that's commitment. Or something.

Regardless of your personal views on tattoos - or could think of other sportspeople you'd rather look at for the rest of your life - the artwork by local tattooist Trinity Ropiha is impressive.

Let's just hope the All Blacks bring home the trophy, otherwise that could be one very permanent reminder of a nation's disappointment.

Speaking of rugby fever ... good luck to Rotorua Boys' High's 1st XV who will host Scots College tomorrow for the national schools title. Get down there and support them - kick off is 2.55pm at the school. Win or lose, it's another great news story for Rotorua.