The Rotorua Bowling Club was buzzing last Friday night as more than 100 locals took to the bowling green for a friendly tournament, followed by a social barbecue, all in the name of a good cause.
The sold-out Bowls and BBQ fundraiser, organised by local digital marketing agency Dimple Digital, was aimed at raising funds and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters Rotorua.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Rotorua is a local charity committed to building healthy futures for Rotorua's tamariki through mentoring friendships.
"Becoming a mentor is one of the greatest things I have done in life and now being able to support BBBS to raise funds so more kids can have mentors makes me extremely happy," says David Remmerswaal of Dimple Digital.
The $4000 from the Bowls and BBQ event will help the charity meet the ongoing operational costs of these relationships.
The programme currently supports 85 local tamariki, aged 6-12. Each tamariki is paired with an adult mentor, whom they meet up with once a week.
Darryl Parker, mentoring co-ordinator of Big Brothers Big Sisters Rotorua, says he is "continually blown away by the support and generosity of the Rotorua community, especially at this time when many businesses have been affected by Covid".
Dimple Digital says none of this would have been possible without the hugely generous support of the many local businesses who supported and sponsored the event.
These included the Rotorua Bowling Club, The Meat Shoppe Rotorua, The Mad
Butcher Rotorua, Third Place Cafe, Volcanic Hills Winery, Michelle Cutelli Photography, Rotorua Canopy Tours, Redwoods Treewalk, Polynesian Spa, Waimangu Volcanic Valley, River Rats, Capers, Hell's Gate, Escape Masters, Pig & Whistle, Zorb, Reading Cinemas,
Millennium Hotel, Terrace Kitchen, the Social Club, Kaz - Design Brand Web, The Refinery, Scope Cafe, Urbano Bistro, Pete's Meats, and the Knife Shop.
To learn more about Big Brothers Big Sisters go to bigbrothersbigsisters.org.nz