Legion Of Frontiersmen Take Out Top Prize

Media Release, Tuesday 29 June

Legion Of Frontiersmen Take Out Top Prize

Legion of Frontiersmen J. Troop won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Western Bay of Plenty Community Awards.

The Awards were announced and presented last night (Monday 28 June) at a function at Te Puke Citizens Club.

For winning the Supreme Award, Legion of Frontiersmen J. Troop received a framed certificate, a trophy and $1,500 prize money. Legion of Frontiersmen J. Troop now has the opportunity to represent the district at the 2010 TrustPower National Community Awards, which are being held in the Western Bay and Tauranga districts in March 2011. Legion of Frontiersmen J. Troop will also be filmed by a TVNZ crew to feature in a new series called ‘Volunteer Power’.

TVNZ 6 has partnered with the TrustPower Community Awards in 2010 to bring remarkable stories of volunteers all over the country. ‘Volunteer Power’, presented by Jim Mora and Julia Bloore will tell the stories of visionary and award-winning projects operating in kiwi communities - fuelled by the boundless energy of community volunteers.

The Legion of Frontiersmen J. troop also won a six month subscription to Fundraising in New Zealand magazine, New Zealand's only monthly publication dedicated to all things fundraising.

TrustPower Community Relations Representative Suzi Luff says the Legion of Frontiersmen aim to undertake voluntary work for the betterment of the community, but what set this group apart was their ability to get stuck into a project that needed to be done yet isn’t an easy or glamorous one.

“After visiting the Katikati Cemetery, the Legion of Frontiersmen took on the enterprise of restoring the cemetery from a drab undesirable place to a place worth visiting for families and visitors to the district. From photographing all veterans’ gravestones for historical records and removing broken concrete bases to be re-grassed to identifying unmarked graves and attaching donated wooden crosses, this group is meticulously making-over the cemetery.”

“The Legion of Frontiersmen has even thought to commemorate graves of historical significance by having bronze plaques made with references to archives and other places of interest in Katikati. This attention to detail and devotion to the project will be valued by the community for generations to come,” says Miss Luff.

The competition for this year’s TrustPower Western Bay of Plenty Community Awards was tough with 39 groups nominated for the Awards.

In total, TrustPower gave away $6, 350 to various community groups through tonight’s Awards. This year in an uncommon move, seven commendations were awarded due to the high number of groups doing outstanding voluntary work.

Well-known Te Puke man Alan Cotter received an individual commendation to recognise his involvement in a number of local voluntary groups over a number of years.

Other winners at tonight’s TrustPower Western Bay of Plenty Community Awards were:

Heritage and Environment

Winner: Te Puke Kiwi Conservation Club

Runner-Up: Otanewainuku Kiwi Trust

Commendation: Aongatete Forest Restoration

Health and Well Being

Winner: Camp Quality Waikato/Bay of Plenty

Runner-Up: Tauranga Womens Refuge

Commendation: Bosom Buddies

Commendation: Omokoroa Police Information Centre

Arts and Culture

Joint Winner: Te Puke Charity Quiz Group

Joint Winner: Creative Te Puke Photography Competition

Runner-Up: Te Puke Scottish Society

Sport and Leisure

Winner: Waihi Beach Lifeguard Service

Runner-Up: Omokoroa Family Festival Incorporated

Commendation: Katikati Caledonian Society

Educational and Child/Youth Development

Winner: Omokoroa Boat Club – Junior Sailing

Runner-Up: Eagles Academy Charitable Trust

Commendation: Annual Kiwifruit Ambassador Competition

Commendation: Western Bay of Plenty Family and Foster Care Association

Regional (Individual) Commendation –presented in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the Western Bay of Plenty community.

Winner: Alan Cotter

ends

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