Less well off to benefit from Christmas event

This year's Christmas celebrations at the Village Green will be taking on a different form.

A Christmas food bank challenge will replace the Village Christmas which has been held for the past three years.

The event is intended to help those in need around the district so no-one goes hungry and is designed to fill the Te Whare Putea and New Life Church food banks in time for Christmas.

It will still be held on the first Saturday of the month, December 5, with a postponement day of Sunday December 6 in case of wet weather, but the format will be somewhat different.

The first of three events for the day itself is a food drive, beginning about 1pm, in which teams of volunteers, including local emergency services, will pass through the streets of Kaikoura collecting food and donations from people's homes.

The food will be taken to trailers at the Village Green, where Christmas carols will be sung by schools and other groups.

There will also be a barbecue, hot rod display and raffle among other attractions.

Fundraising from the food stalls, raffle and other attractions will be used to buy perishable goods, which are the biggest cost for the food banks.

In the build up to the event and for a week afterwards the organisers plan to arrange other drop off points around town for those who wish to donate but are unable to make it on the day.

Also on the cards for that evening will be a movie, which people will be invited to attend in return for donations of food.

Organiser Nicky Mayne is keen to get local businesses on board with their support and she is also initiating a monthly support programme for businesses to contribute on an ongoing basis so that the food banks are full all year round.

"The idea has been prompted by the recession," she said.

"Rather than planning an entertainment event we would like to meet need in the community, so no-one goes hungry."

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