Fete brings in $4000 for school

Lake Tekapo School received a $4000 boost thanks to the Mackenzie High Country fete.

More than 1200 people attended last weekend's event, according to organiser Raewyn Radford. Proceeds from the gate entrants went to the school.

"We learnt from last year. I would say it went off almost without a hitch," she said.

"The volunteers were just great. We had more than 30 of them just helping set up the stalls and clean up the rubbish afterwards."

Lake Tekapo School principal Anna Roseingrave said she was thrilled with the donation. "This is just amazing, and we will have to think very carefully about what we're going to spend the money on.

"Our school has only 18 students, so a donation like this can go a long way."

Ms Roseingrave said she was pleased the organisers chose to sponsor them for the second year in a row, after last year's event raised about $3000 for the school.

"We spent last year's donation on a data projector, which gets used pretty much every day. Whatever we spend the money on this time, we want to make sure it benefits the children for a long time."

This year's High Country Fete featured more than 70 stalls. "We were more picky this year with our selections. We wanted to make sure all the products sold were high quality," Ms Radford said.

"We wanted to emphasise the fact that everything sold was 100 per cent New Zealand made, but we also wanted to celebrate the community, which is why we supported the local school."

- © Fairfax NZ News