Editorial: Kiwis who make us proud to be Kiwis

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

It was a remarkable evening ... Wednesday's Pride of New Zealand awards where the Auckland Museum provided a wonderful setting.

The 24 finalists brought their stories - ordinary Kiwis doing extraordinary things - and tears welled up across the room.

As radio and TV host Stacey Morrison commented, a make-up and mascara station was needed such was the emotion generated.

Tales of spontaneous courage by people who risked their lives to save others.

Tales of years of dedication and struggle in the service of a community.

Tales of being sufficiently moved to start a small project to help at-risk kids/the disabled/children with cancer, and seeing it grow into something special.

Not done for money, or for thanks - but because something needed to be done.

Judge and Ecostore founder Malcolm Rands put the question that had been hanging in the air for much of the night. If these ordinary folk could do so much, what could the rest of us do?

The media, corporate clients and others in attendance will, hopefully, have taken note.

And there among the accolades and heartwarming moments was Wanganui's Allan Anderson, whose decades of graft for the Bushy Park native bird reserve saw him win the overall environmental award.

Great reward for his efforts and a great boost for Bushy Park.

The Chronicle is proud to have played a small part in promoting Allan's cause.