April 2008
Immediate release

Masquerade Ball launches Community Chest

It promises to be the social event of the year in Golden Bay and its all for a very good cause.

A grand Masquerade Ball will launch fundraising towards a Golden Bay Community Chest which will assist community work in the region.

The ball at Takaka’s Pohara Hall on 28th June promises identities and costumes rarely seen in the Bay.

“We are encouraging people to wear a mask and maybe dress as anything from Flappers and Flintstones to Sophisticates and Transylvania Transisters”, explained organiser Barb Hall of Takaka.

“Dancing with the Stars is an obvious theme, and we hope some people will go further to Moulin Rouge or Astaire and Rogers”.

Duo Jackson and Doug Hill will provide the live music, Mike McKenna, a local DJ will support the Band and celebrity Gary McCormick will be MC and auctioneer as valuable artworks are offered to raise funds for the community chest launch.

Ms Hall says the fund will provide local community workers with the opportunity to offer support as local needs demand. “With a community chest, people can contribute directly to that when applying their charity funds locally, and with the Golden Bay community workers administering it the funding becomes accessible to everyone. Its all about providing ‘people services’ locally in a way that we manage ourselves, without waiting for external agencies to meet this community’s needs”.

The Community Workers are not funded nationally to do a lot of their work, they have to rely on grants from a range of organisations.

Ms Hall says the concept grew out of a self-reliance forum in Golden Bay last year. “The idea took off; people have shown huge understanding, support and generosity”.

Some locals will join mask-making workshops leading up to the ball and groups are being organised.

Tickets sold individually or in tables of eight are available at Heartland Services in Commercial Street and also Golden Bay Services BP station, Takaka. Tickets cost $100 covering the live band, supper, drinks and donation towards the Community Chest.

For the auction Philly Hall has donated a painting, Tim Jessep a family of stargazers pottery and Jocelynne Bacci an Oamaru stone sculpture of the bidder’s choice.

ENDS

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