Ray White Paraparaumu were proud to be a part of the recent Coastguard Spring Ball held at the Southward Car Museum in an event which helped raise over over $21,000 for Kapiti Coastguard.
Close to 300 people attended the fundraising event for an evening of fine dining – where guests were welcomed with drinks and canapes and the soothing sounds of the Kapiti College Barbershop Quartet. The evening concluded with a charity auction followed by music and dancing to the tunes of the Aspire Big Band. The Ray White team helped promote and sell tickets to the event and further money was raised on the night through auctioned items and further donations. Ray White Auctioneer Tim Obern flew down specially for the event and was privileged to auction a great range of items donated from local businesses including furniture, electronics, dinner, jewellery, accommodation packages (including a nights stay on Kapiti Island which sold for $1,500) and two domestic flights – with spending money donated by Rachel Steinmetz and the Ray White Paraparaumu team.
Ray White Paraparaumu have been active supporters of Coastguard for some time now with plans to continue and further extend their support. Rachel Steinmetz from Ray White Paraparaumu recently joined the Kapiti Coastguard Fundraising Committee to assist the team with planning for the Spring Ball – an event which the Ray White Paraparaumu also came out to support on the night.
The money raised from the event will be used towards funding the new $550,000 rescue boat for the Kapiti Coastguard – who are looking to replace their 22 year old craft. Through various fundraising events – including a fishing competition run by Ray White Paraparaumu earlier in the year – their totals raised to date are sitting at around $80,000.
As the primary maritime search and rescue service, Coastguard is here to make New Zealand’s waterways a safer place for boaties – with 85% of their funding coming from donations and local community support. There are currently 71 Coastguard Units located across New Zealand, and since 1976 most of these units have been independently established by communities concerned with the lack of available marine safety. Nationally Coastguard are supported by by more than 2,465 volunteers – who have access to 78 dedicated search and rescue vessels in their fleet. Coastguard rescue crews brought 2,915 people home safely in New Zealand last summer alone.
“Following on from our fishing competition and auction fundraiser earlier in the year, we are proud to be able to continue our support of Coastguard who do an amazing job in our local community, and all across New Zealand’s waterways… We are so proud and pleased to support Coastguard Kapiti, they are crucial service that work so hard at keeping our community together and safe and we look forward to many more ways in which we can offer our help & support… although, lets hope we never need to use them!” Rachel says her team will “definitely continue to support Coastguard and look forward to seeing them be able to replace their existing vessel.”