1 November, 2011

An Avalanche Of Strawberry Sundaes! - Strawberry Festival Starts This Week

Sixteen thousand and two hundred strawberry sundaes made up from 10,650 punnets of strawberries and 3200 litres of ice cream will be sold around the country throughout November to raise funds for hospice services.

The 2011 Hospice Strawberry Festival kicks off in Auckland on 4 November with Eastern Bays Hospice holding a fashion parade and auction at dove shop, Apirana.

Down south, Otago Community Hospice is running a stall selling strawberry sundaes along with face painting at Dunedin’s Golden Centre on Saturday 5 November.

Also on 5 November, Hospice Marlborough, will be selling strawberries and ice cream to the 500 competitors, plus hundreds of supporters, who will be turning up at the Picton foreshore for the start of the “2011 Queen Charlotte Classic”, a hugely popular multi sports race.

Please see the accompanying events schedule for a full list of events.

In Wellington, on November 19, Shortland Street star, Lee Donoghue, “Hunter McKay” will be appearing at a family fun day at MacLean Park Paraparaumu to support strawberry sundae sales for Mary Potter Hospice.

Says Lee Donoghue: “Our local hospice helped support my family at a very vulnerable time in our lives. We felt they gave us total empathy and understanding for the person passing and all our family."

“Hospices provide a very high standard of care for terminally ill New Zealanders free of charge,” says Lee, “and funds raised from the Hospice Strawberry Festival helps towards keeping those services free.”

This year, says Lee, people who cannot buy a real strawberry sundae can buy a “virtual” one and make an online donation at www.strawberryfestival.org.nz “The Hospice Strawberry Festival is a great way to enjoy yourself, treat yourself, and give to a fantastic cause,” he says.

The first “Hospice Strawberry Festival” was run in Wellington in 2005 by Mary Potter Hospice and it has since grown to become a national festival in 2009. PAK “N SAVE supermarkets have been a key supporter of the Strawberry Festival 2011 providing strawberries and ice cream.

Events

Eastern Bays Hospice Auckland Strawberry Festival “Week”

4 November

A fashion parade will be held at dove shop, Apirana Avenue. The fashion parade will include an auction and the hospice is encouraging people to come dressed with a strawberry flavour.

5 November

On the Saturday of Festival week the hospice is selling ice cream and strawberries at dove shop, St Heliers with a surprise venue in Stonefields.

All week

During their Festival week they are running “Strawberry Market Barrows” at dove shop St Heliers and Apirana, selling homemade goodies.

Otago Community Hospice

5 November

The Hospice is holding a stall selling strawberry sundaes along with face painting at Dunedin’s Golden Centre 10am to 5pm. This event is being held in conjunction with the hospice annual street appeal.

Hospice Marlborough

5 November

From 9am strawberries and ice cream will be sold on the Picton foreshore for the 500 competitors, plus hundreds of supporters, who will be turning up for the start of the “2011 Queen Charlotte Classic” - a multi sports race.

11 November

Ice cream and strawberries will be sold at the Blenheim Forum from 9.30am with volunteers dressed as strawberries.

Mercy Hospice Auckland

9 November - Downtown Auckland at QE11 Square 9am to 4pm

Celebrity chefs, Lauraine Jacobs and Annabelle White, will be running cooking demonstrations at lunch time. They will be whipping up delectable strawberry recipes that the public will be able to purchase. Mercy Hospice are selling strawberry plants, tea towels, strawberry tarts and strawberry shortcake cupcakes.

Mercy have organised entertainment to create a fun and festive atmosphere including a circus juggler as well as musicians. Six volunteers will be dressing up in Strawberry Angel costumes to further add to the festival flavour. Their hospice shops will be decorating their windows in a strawberry theme and are currently saving red items to use for their displays.

Mary Potter Hospice Wellington

9 November - Midland Park 8am to 5pm

Sales of strawberries and ice cream at Midland Park, Lambton Quay, plus entertainment: Queen Margaret Girls’ Choir, singer, Black Thunder and a MC

19 November - Family Fun Day, MacLean Park, Paraparaumu

A range of family friendly fun events, bands, dancing, bouncy castle, face painting. Barbecue and strawberry sundae sales. Special guest Shortland Street actor, Lee Donoghue.

23 November - Top of the Cable Car

Three stalls selling strawberries and ice-cream to commuter and cruise ship visitors.

26 November - Porirua, outside PAK’N SAVE Supermarket

Three stalls will be selling strawberries and ice-cream between 8.00am – 4.00pm in the PAK ‘n SAVE car park.

Te Omanga Hospice, Lower Hutt

9 November

The Hospice is running a stall at: Margaret Street, Lower Hutt.

12 November

Three stalls will be operating: Riverside Market, Hospice Shop, 226 Main St, Upper Hutt, and Hospice Shop, 374 Jackson St, Petone.

Gisborne Palliative Care Service

12 November Family Fun Day

Along with strawberry sundae sales there will be a variety of dance performances by children with a special performance by Mangapapa School's Polynesian Group. The Gisborne Gym Club will be demonstrating gymnastics and members of the Irish Band will be playing. For the younger children there will be a bouncy castle and face painting.

Throughout November

Strawberry Desserts

In conjunction with the Hospice Strawberry Festival a number of restaurants around Wellington have agreed to participate in a strawberry dessert promotion. Over the months of November and December these restaurant will be offering a strawberry dessert or cocktail and be donating some of the proceeds of these sales to Mary Potter Hospice. Restaurants include: The Tasting Room, The Whitehouse, Zibbibo, Pravda Cafe, Logan Brown, La Cloche, Fratelli and Seatoun Cafe & Bar.

In the Hutt Valley the following restaurants have agreed to make a donation to Te Omanga Hospice for every special Strawberry Festival menu item sold: Abode Cafe, Black Olive, Blue Carrot Catering, Celcius Cafe, Gusto Bistro, Janus Bakkerij, Las Margaritas, Mediterranean Food Warehouse, Reka Cafe, Shine Cafe, Studio Cafe, Tiki Lounge, Upper Hutt Cosmopolitan Club.

ENDS

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