Christmas spirit is already ‘building’ in Te Awamutu.
An inaugural Te Awamutu Business Chamber initiative which will see 30 wooden Christmas trees placed outside Alexandra St shops is underway, and Operation Christmas Hamper co-ordinators are aiming to top 250 hampers this year.
The chamber’s Christmas tree project is being managed by Ken Huberts, who ran a similar initiative in Gisborne for almost a decade before shifting to Te Awamutu in May.
At its height, the Gisborne initiative attracted more than 70 trees and Huberts told The News of his excitement regarding the scope of future years here in Te Awamutu.
“I really love this project, it brings so many elements of the community together in unity. It will reach thousands of people in some way.”
Te Awamutu Business Chamber chief executive Shane Walsh, left, and
wooden Christmas tree project manager Ken Huberts with one of the
still-to-be-painted trees on Monday. Photo: Jeremy Smith
The kit set wooden Christmas trees were built by Te Awamutu Menzshed members before being given an under coat of paint through an arrangement with Corrections New Zealand.
Now, with term four underway, Huberts said the trees will be distributed among 16 schools in and around Te Awamutu, with students painting the trees in answer to this year’s themed question, “…what does Christmas mean to you?”
“Typically, we get paintings of everything from Jesus in a manger to jandals, the beach and the barbie.”
Te Awamutu Business Chamber chief executive Shane Walsh said each tree will then be adopted by an Alexandra St business, and placed outside the shops in time for the chamber’s Black Friday Blowout event at the end of November.
“The children who decorate the trees will not know which retailer has adopted theirs, the idea being that they and their parents come into town to find it.
“We hope this will also encourage people to shop in town, and complete their Christmas shopping in Te Awamutu,” he
said.
Walsh said he saw scope for the initiative to expand.
Meanwhile, Operation Christmas Hamper co-ordinator Kellie Wakelin and committee member constable Ryan Fleming have called for community help in gathering supplies as they plan several days out and about in Te Awamutu collecting donations for the appeal.
The community initiative is a collaboration between police, CommSafe, Kainga Aroha Community House and other Waipā organisations.
They support families in need by providing them with Christmas hampers – and want to provide 250 of them this year. Wakelin, who has lived in Te Awamutu for four years, once received a hamper herself, and said she was moved by the generosity.
“I will always remember that – and providing that for others is why we do what we do,” she said. Fleming said in past years they have been able to provide families with a variety of meat – and he wants to repeat that.
“I’m a bit of a fan of a good roast, you’ve got to have a good roast on Christmas Day.” Operation Christmas Hamper is a
registered as not-for-profit, and has a dedicated bank account for donations.
Those wanting more information can also follow Operation Christmas Hamper’s Facebook page.
