Allan Anderson has done a lot for others; now he wants us to do something for him.
A finalist in the prestigious Pride of New Zealand Awards, he has a chance of winning $10,000 in a People's Choice online vote.
He doesn't want the money for himself - he wantsto donate it to his beloved Bushy Park bird sanctuary, a wonderful wildlife reserve on the outskirts of Wanganui that has been so close to his heart for so many years.
It is a magnificent facility, famous for its population of hihi, or stitchbird, and home to numerous other bird species. It is an attraction for visitors with three kilometres of well-maintained public walking tracks and a new boardwalk, giving easy access to a wetland. It is also a valuable education centre for schoolchildren.
But like many such facilities it faces a battle for funding - and $10,000 would be a godsend.
So the Chronicle is getting behind Allan, and Bushy Park, and urging people to go online and vote for the former councillor. Details on how to vote are on our story on page 3.
Allan has made a difference, having raised $1 million for a pest-proof fence for Bushy Park, and now we can make a difference by casting our vote his way.
