Coastguard Lake Taupō Making Waves as Supreme Winner at Community Awards

Coastguard Lake Taupō have taken top honours at Taupō District’s biggest annual celebration of volunteers, the Trustpower Community Awards.

Voluntary groups from around the district gathered with representatives from Trustpower, the Taupō District Council, and the community at the Great Lake Centre to hear how 13 groups and one student are making an impact in their community.

Trustpower Community Relations Representative Alice Boyd says Coastguard Lake Taupō stood out because of the impact and input of their volunteers.

“The work they do is so incredibly important to the Taupō community, and with a big beautiful lake being a focal point in the area, it’s pretty apt that the Supreme Winner is a group of volunteers who give over 60,000 hours of their time each year protecting people on the waterways within the Greater Taupō region.” says Miss Boyd.

“Not only are they available to help people in distress 24/7, 365 days a year, Coastguard Lake Taupō volunteers have also contributed nearly 400 hours in the past year to community events such as the New Zealand Ironman, Across the Lake Swim, the Bomb Comp, and the Christmas Parade to name a few,” she says.

For winning the Supreme Award, Coastguard Lake Taupō received a framed certificate, a trophy, a radio advertising voucher thanks to The Hits Taupō, and $1,500 prize money.

Coastguard Lake Taupō will go on to represent the Taupō District at the 2017 Trustpower National Community Awards, taking place in the Queenstown Lakes area next April.

Other winners at tonight’s Trustpower Taupō District Community Awards were:

Youth Community Spirit
Winner – Danielle Rihia

Heritage and Environment
Commendation – Lake Taupō Genealogy Branch
Runner up – Greening Taupō
Winner – Emergency Accommodation Taupō
Health and Wellbeing
Commendation – Mangakino St John
Runner up – Lake Taupō Hospice Trust
Winner – Lakeland Lions Club of Taupō

Arts and Culture
Runner up – Lakeside Variety/Country Music Club
Winner – Community Ambassadors Taupō

Sport and Leisure
Runner up – Special Olympics Taupō
Winner – Bike Taupō Advocacy Group Inc.

Education and Child/Youth Development
Runner up – Wairakei Playcentre
Winner – Bluelight Taupō

Supreme Winner
Coastguard Lake Taupō

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