The team behind Oamaru’s jazz and blues festival was named Waitaki’s top community group at a ceremony at the Oamaru Opera House last night.
Harbour St Jazz Inc was presented with the supreme award at the 2017 Trustpower Waitaki District Community Awards. The annual Harbour Street Jazz & Blues Festival brings a weekend of jazz to Oamaru’s historic area and Lower Thames St.
Harbour St Jazz Inc provided a ‘‘cultural and musical experience for all to enjoy’’, Trustpower community relations representative Emily Beaton said in a statement yesterday.
"The Harbour St Jazz Festival is a three-day-and-night affair that brings together the local community and attracts visitors to Oamaru. Volunteers were involved with all aspects of the event, and now in its fifth year of running, they show no sign of slowing down," she said.
Harbour St Jazz Inc received $1500, a framed certificate commemorating its win and a trophy, and will represent Waitaki at the 2017 Trustpower National Community Awards, in April next year.
In total, Trustpower awarded more than $5000 to community groups at last night’s awards.
● Other winners at the awards were: heritage and environment, Vanished World Inc; health and wellbeing, Waitaki Resource Recovery Park; arts and culture, Nicol’s Blacksmith Historic Trust; sport and leisure, Excelsior Rugby and Associated Sports Club; education and child/youth development, Waianakarua Lions; youth spirit, Jacqui Malcolm, St Kevin’s College.
