Hospice Strawberry Festival Starts Next Week

MEDIA RELEASE

13 November 2012

An Avalanche of Strawberry Sundaes!

Hospice Strawberry Festival Starts Next Week

Sixteen thousand and two hundred strawberry sundaes made up from over 10,500 punnets of strawberries and 3200 litres of ice cream will be sold around the country throughout November to raise funds for hospice services.

The 2012 Hospice Strawberry Festival kicks off next Saturday 24 November in PAK ‘n SAVE supermarkets throughout the region. Keep an eye out in PAK ‘n SAVE stores between 10am and 3pm and get your first, fresh taste of spring strawberries and ice cream.

On Tuesday 27 November, Bank of New Zealand staff in the Lower Hutt CBD will be multi-tasking – business as usual in store and a team of strawberry servers and ice cream scoopers outside the store in Queens Drive, Lower Hutt between 10am and 2pm.

Store Manager, Katrina Mearns says "BNZ have supported the Hospice for over 10 years in a variety of ways but the Strawberry Festival is a particular favourite of our staff for obvious reasons. Te Omanga Hospice is a huge part of our local community and we couldn't do without them so this is a great way for BNZ to give something back."

On Wednesday 28 November, the newly finished “Square” in front of the Dowse Museum in Laings Road, Lower Hutt will be the site of the 2012 Te Omanga Hospice Strawberry Festival.

With live entertainment from local acts throughout the day and great big bowls of strawberries and ice cream available at $5.00 per serve, it’s going to be a great way to christen this brand new public space and get the “street party” atmosphere ramped up for summer!

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

This year 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 Virtual Sundae is a great way to still be good to yourself, be part of this fun event and give support to a fantastic cause.

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 run by many hospices throughout New Zealand in 2009. PAK “N SAVE supermarkets have been a key supporter of the Strawberry Festival 2012, not only providing all stocks of strawberries and ice cream needed but also offering their local supermarket outlets as strawberry stall venues.

Events

“PAK ‘n SAVE” Saturday – at PAK ‘n SAVE Supermarkets across the Hutt Valley

Saturday 24 November

Strawberry Stalls will be operating between 10am and 3pm at:

PAK ‘n SAVE – Upper Hutt

PAK ‘n SAVE – Hutt City

PAK ‘n SAVE – Petone

Bank of New Zealand, Lower Hutt Branch, Queens Drive, Lower Hutt

Tuesday 27 November

A bonus taste of spring strawberries and ice cream just ahead of our Wednesday festival for shoppers in the Lower Hutt CBD! The fantastic team from BNZ, Lower Hutt will be staffing a strawberry stall outside their branch premises in Queens Drive.

Strawberries, ice cream and topping available for $5.00 per serve between 10am and 2pm.

The “Dowse Square”, Laings Road, Lower Hutt

Wednesday 28 November

An all-day festival starting at 8am and finishing at 4pm at the brand new “Dowse Square”. Big bowls of fresh strawberries and ice cream at $5.00 per serve. Pre-orders welcome. Ph Caroline Ryan on 569 0683.

Local bands and entertainment throughout the day includes:

10 -11am Chris Green and Upper Hutt College students

11.45 – 12.30pm Mike Duffy and Jeremy Desmond (Newtown Rocksteady)

12.30 -1.30pm Miles Calder (Miles Calder & the Rumours)

and Finn Johansson (Johnsonville City Nights)

2.30 – 2.50pm Chilton St James choir

Throughout November

Strawberry Desserts

In conjunction with the Hospice Strawberry Festival a number of restaurants around our region have agreed to participate in a strawberry dessert promotion.

Over the month of November these restaurants and cafes will be offering a strawberry themed menu item, dessert or cocktail and will be donating some of the proceeds of these sales to Te Omanga Hospice.

Restaurants include: Rose’s Cafe, Celcius Cafe, Janus Bakkerij, Blue Carrot Catering, Limelight Cafe, Sweet Vanilla Kitchen, Han River Korean Restaurant, Maharajas Indian Restaurant, Upper Hutt Cossie Club, Cafe Reka, Normablue, Artisan Restaurant, Shine Cafe, Gusto, Mediterranean Food Warehouse, Speight’s Ale House.

ENDS

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