Why You Should Nominate Your Legendary Mate For The ‘Unsung Pals’ Initiative

Pals are giving a local hero a $25,000 reward.

We all know that pal who is a bit of a legend, the type who always puts others first and does their bit to make the world a better place, while never tooting their own horn. They might work 9-5pm but still manage to fit in volunteering on the side, whether it’s picking up rubbish on their local beach or organising food parcels to those in need.

Now drinks brand Pals is giving one lucky ‘unsung pal’ $25,000, including $20,000 donated to their community work or to a charity of their choice and a $5,000 reward to say a big thanks for their hard mahi. People can nominate an unsung pal, describe the impact they’ve had in their community and how they think they should be rewarded, whether it’s giving them a well deserved holiday, helping pay for their childcare or shouting their groceries. The Unsung Pals initiative also ran last year, with Te Awamutu parents Diana and Vene Manutai winning for their community work through their charity Musika’s Gift. The couple gift Christmas hampers and free food parcels to Waikato families affected by suicide or financial hardship.

It’s a path they themselves have walked, following the death of Vene’s younger brother Musika to suicide in 2014.

Di has seen firsthand the impact Musika’s Gift has made, not only when delivering the parcels, but through correspondence with those who’ve received them. Last year she had an email from a hamper recipient to say how grateful she’d been to be able to give her children a Christmas ham, something she’d never been able to do before.

“That’s the stuff that humbles you,” says Di. She says she and Vene started the charity, partly in remembrance of Musika’s giving nature — it wasn’t until his funeral they discovered the talented sportsman and musician had been quietly doing a pamphlet run for a family at his church to help them get by. They also wanted to give back to the community that had shown their family such kindness during their own hugely difficult time, particularly Vene’s Samoan network, she says.

“So many people, complete strangers, came up to us and said, ‘we acknowledge your pain and we want to share in the grief’. Honestly, the number of things that were left on our doorstep, from food parcels to baking — someone even gifted me a massage. You never realise how big your connection with the world is until something tragic like that happens to you. You don’t realise you’re really loved too.”

The idea for the charity has blossomed, largely through word of mouth, from 10 hampers being gifted the first year to more than 300 today, with $30,000 of goods raised each year. Yet Musika’s Gift is run on a shoestring, the hamper items provided purely by donation, along with the couple’s own money — a portion of the sales Di makes through her job as a real estate agent also goes towards the parcels.

In recognition of their hard mahi, the couple’s friend Maggie nominated them for the Unsung Pals charity programme.

“Despite both working full time jobs and juggling a pretty hectic family life, Diana and Vene have created this incredible charity that spreads kindness in such a challenging time in people’s lives,” says marketing manager Kate Collins.

Thanks to the contribution from Pals, Di says she’s thrilled to be able to put better things in the hampers this year, and to be able to buy Christmas presents for children who otherwise wouldn’t get anything.

“When you’re in the pits of grief, or struggling financially, you often feel alone, and you don’t actually know whether you’ll survive,” she says. “To get a surprise gift from a stranger can make a world of difference.”

To find out more about Di and Vene’s story, check out the video below in which Pals co-founder Jay Reeve speaks to the couple.

Now the search is on to find the next round of Unsung Pals.

“We were blown away by the nominations we received last year — hundreds of everyday Kiwis doing incredible things to make a difference to their communities,” says Kate.

Along with Diana and Vene there were two other Unsung Pal winners who each won a share of $30,000. Carrie Wooller is a law student who was integral in raising $43,0000 for Te Whare Pounamu Dunedin Women’s Refuge through a series of charity events, as well as volunteering for Community Law Otago and the Red Cross. Meanwhile Ben Brown sprang into action during the Covid-19 lockdowns to deliver more than 30 truck loads of supplies across the wider Waikato region, and has since established the Meremere Food Bank with his team of community volunteers.

Nominations for the next round of Unsung Pals open from Wednesday 7th December at 6pm until Wednesday 21st December 2022 at 12pm. Open to NZ & Aus residents only. Terms and conditions apply.

Head to www.drinkpals/unsungpals to nominate your unsung pal today.