Supper Club Rotorua: Event raises $143,000 for Ronald McDonald Retreats

Congratulations Rotorua, you just raised $143,000.

Organisers of last night's annual Supper Club event that raises money for the Ronald McDonald Family Retreats say they are thrilled to raise one of the highest tallies in the event's history in spite of the pandemic.

The more than 400 guests bid furiously on donated prizes during a live auction before they were sent away to their dinner destinations.

Supper Club sees 50 tables of eight people attend a function at the Novotel before a draw to decide each table's dinner venue in the city. The dinners are all donated by the venues throughout the city.

Rotorua Supper Club organisers and the crowd celebrate their grand total. Photo / Andrew Warner

All funds go towards the upkeep of the Ronald McDonald Family Retreats on the shores of Lake Rotorua, which are used to give families with very sick children a break away from home.

The crowd roared with cheers as event MC Paul Hickey from The Hits revealed the tally raised of $143,189.

Helping to get to that tally was a raffle for a new Kia Sportage donated by Ebbett Rotorua after 100 tickets were pre-sold for $100 each.

Rotorua woman Sonia Wilson had a nervous hour-and-a-half wait for confirmation she had won the car.

Her name was called out as the winner on the night but she was not at the event.

Several people at the event called her to give her the news but her phone number had been written down wrong on the ticket so organisers were delayed in catching up with her.

Until she had heard for certain, she wondered if it was another "Sonia Wilson".

When the Rotorua Daily Post spoke with herafter she had received her confirmation phone call, she said she was speechless.

"The screaming has ended, I tell you."

Wilson said she bought a ticket in the same raffle off the same person last year and got another email this year asking if she'd like another ticket.

"I take tickets in anything, you know me if it's a cause I'm in for it."

She gave her daughter, Kennedy, the cash to pass on and let her pick her ticket number.

"You know where this is going now don't you? She's going to think she's got dibs on my other car ... I'm just absolutely and utterly blown away and stoked."

Generous bidders had the crowds oohing and ahhing throughout the night. A carving by Joe Kemp sold under the hammer for $12,000 while another bidder paid $6500 just for the right to choose where their table went for dinner.

Another of the big prizes was a luxury South Island trip donated by helloworld Travel Rotorua which sold for $6700.

Meanwhile, event organiser Rob Parry said he and his wife, Linley, were thrilled with the outcome.

The goal was to raise more than $100,000 which would mean the Supper Clubs over the past 11 years had raised more than $1 million.

He said it was great to be back, after having to cancel previous events because of Covid-19 restrictions.

"People in the audience were commenting how great it was to be back to normal."