BACK ON TOP: Basketball promoter Paul Berridge wanted to help a fellow Castlecliff boy, 11-year old Mikaere Katene. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 201015WCSMKINDNESS2
BACK ON TOP: Basketball promoter Paul Berridge wanted to help a fellow Castlecliff boy, 11-year old Mikaere Katene. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 201015WCSMKINDNESS2
MIKAERE and Melissa Katene's faith in human nature is somewhat restored by a gift from Paul Berridge.
Mr Berridge, who was brought up in their Wanganui suburb of Castlecliff, read the Chronicle story about how a man Miss Katene was helping out stole her son's laptop and some of hisclothes 10 days ago.
Miss Katene has a heart to take in people who are "at rock bottom" and give them another chance. Her son, equally generous, gives up his bed to them and sleeps on the couch.
"He has got a lot of respect for his elders. He treated them all the same, as his aunties and uncles, and to see (the thief) do that was quite heartbreaking for him," his mother said.
The theft was reported to Whanganui Police, but the laptop has not been recovered.
"It just sucked because he needed it for school and all his school work."
Mr Berridge could not replace the laptop, but he gave Mikaere a basketball shirt signed by Breakers legend CJ Bruton, a basketball singlet and a family pass to this weekend's Hoop Nation - three days' basketball by some of New Zealand's best and three international players.
Joining the Katenes will be Tumanako Moana, a young Tauranga man they are helping.
