Editorial: Very sad 'bye' to Wearable Creationz

It is such sad news to hear Rotorua will no longer stage Wearable Creationz.

Since the event's inception in 2001, it has grown to be one of the "must dos" on the local social calendar.

The event has attraction more than 1200 entries, about 11,000 people have been involved and about 16,000 tickets have been sold.

But on Monday, the Rotorua Creative Art Trust, which is the voluntary organisation behind the running of the event, decided enough was enough.

In what must have been a heart-wrenching decision, the trustees have decided to call time on the popular event.

Trust chairwoman Barbara Cook said it had been a difficult and sad decision to make and not one they had taken lightly.

But after 11 years, it was decided to leave the 2012 event as the last.

All of the trustees are familiar faces around Rotorua. They all have busy schedules and no doubt the event had become a full-time job. It was too much for a volunteer committee to be expected to do.

Although it will be hugely missed each year, perhaps it was good to pull the pin while it was still remembered as such a success.

Wearable Creationz has made a huge contribution to Rotorua, in particular the region's school and young people.

The entries in each year's competition were of world class.

If the event got any bigger and better, it would have rivalled New Zealand's top wearable arts event, World of Wearable Arts, held each year in Wellington.

Although Mrs Cook said the trust was open to other interests taking on the production of the event, that possibility didn't seem likely at this stage.

Here's hoping there is someone or some organisation out there that is willing to take on the work this trust did.

In the meantime, hats off to the Rotorua Creative Art Trust for giving us the past 11 years.

What do you think?

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