Whitianga Locals Band Together To Host Cyclone Gabrielle Fundraiser Concert

In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, a group of Whitianga locals have banded together to host the Cyclone Gabrielle Hawkes Bay Relief Fundraiser Concert this Saturday 25th February from 6pm at the Monkey House Lounge & Cabaret.

Across the North Island there are a lot of people and organisations helping with post-cyclone recovery, especially in the devastated Hawkes Bay region. These people and organisations are extremely resource stretched themselves, and also need a helping hand.

Whitianga local and well-known NZ Hip Hop artist Tipene Harmer, the main organiser of the fundraiser, is keen to raise funds for the Flaxmere Planning Committee and Te Aranga Marae in Hastings, who are housing flood victims from Cyclone Gabrielle.

“Hastings is my hometown and I’ve heard first hand from friends and whānau down there that the Hawkes Bay community is really struggling after Gabrielle,” he says. “Three of our marae and urupā (cemetery) back home have been smashed and countless families have lost everything. It was very emotional watching the videos online, I felt helpless not being able to physically help.”

“Our whānau in Flaxmere have stepped up to house flood victims at our local community centre and Marae keep but their resources are stretched. This fundraiser concert is something we can do from here to tautoko (support)”

The concert will feature live music from local acts: Pete ‘Rocking X-Realtor’ Lawrence, Vegas Brown, Corrosive Moses, Roimata Taimana, The Generation (from Hamilton), C33Y aka Chance Haddon and of course Tipene. There will also be kai (food) on sale, a raffle and a silent auction.

Local businesses/individuals keen to contribute a spot prize for the raffle should email Molly at events@beatfairy.com.

Key event details:

Where: Monkey House Lounge & Cabaret, 18 Coghill Street, Whitianga

Tickets: R18. $25 from Eventfinda, Whitianga iSite and the venue.

Fundraising activities: Spot prize raffles with prizes donated by local businesses.

Kai: Sausage Sizzle, TatiFrutti Food Truck selling empanadas, tarts, tortilla & sweet treats.

Donations: A bank account has been set up to accept donations if you can’t make the event:

02-0644-0238268-008.

ALL ticket sales, raffle tickets, 10% of Monkey House bar take, sausage sizzle sales and one-off donations will go directly to the Flaxmere Planning Committee and Te Aranga Marae so they can continue to support flood victims with temporary housing and essentials.

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