Novel fund-raiser to benifit school

Maniototo Area School pupil Ben Girvan (9) makes sure all 106 lambs are ushered on to a stock...
Maniototo Area School pupil Ben Girvan (9) makes sure all 106 lambs are ushered on to a stock truck bound for Oamaru, at his family's farm near Wedderburn yesterday morning. Photo by Rosie Manins.
The Maniototo Area School will benefit from an estimated $5000 generated by a rural fund-raising initiative.

A lamb drive was organised by the school's Parent Teacher Association (PTA) three weeks ago for which 36 Maniototo farmers donated 106 lambs.

The lambs, expected to fetch more than $50 each, were loaded on to a stock truck bound for Oamaru yesterday morning.

PTA members Tina Becker and Jane Girvan said the response from farmers had been better than expected after the school held a smaller lamb drive last year.
"We are hoping to make this an annual event and hopefully it will grow. It depends on how each season is,'' Mrs Girvan said.

Maniototo farmers on the rural delivery postal system received a newsletter advertising the lamb drive almost a month ago, after which the women telephoned individuals to garner support.

Despite the season drawing to a close, farmers proved generous whatever their means.
"Some didn't have any lambs left so they gave [monetary] donations instead,'' she said.

Maniototo contractors also gave bottles of wine, which were raffled off to farmers who had given lambs.

"We had about 22 bottles of wine to give away and for every lamb donated the farmer's name went into the draw,'' Mrs Girvan said.

Before the lambs were taken away for slaughter, about 30 were shorn and the resulting bale of wool will also be sold to generate money for the school.

Principal Peter Heron said the school would pay the salary of one of its three teacher-aids with the money and put the remaining funds towards a drum kit for the school's music room.

"They are things which benefit loads of children. It gives us flexibility to target specific things the school needs, additionally to the allocated funding we receive,'' Mr Heron said.

The sum raised will be known within the next 14 days.

 

 

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