Over 250 parents, teachers and friends turned out at St Thomas’s School annual quiz night and auction held recently and the Ray White Kohimarama office were once again there to support – helping the school to raise over $33,000.
The theme for this years’ event was ‘United Nations’, and each table was allocated a country, and with the FIFA World Cup on the minds of many at present many tables chose to come along in football regalia. “We drew Jamaica” says Peter Best of Ray White Kohimarama “so some of us wore Bob Marley style hats along with dreadlocks, etc. Unfortunately we didn’t fare too well this year and lost out to the winning team, England – but, as always, we had a great time!”
The $33,000 raised over the evening was the result of sponsorship donations from local businesses including Ray White Kohimarama, ticket sales, food and drink sales, raffles and prize draws throughout the night as well as auctioned items. – Neil Newman has donated his time and services over recent years to conduct the auctioning of the key items throughout the evening. The funds raised will be used towards the arts and outdoor education facilities. This includes band equipment, a sound system, outdoor seating and enhanced education facilities for the new seniors block that is currently under construction at the school.
Peter Best, Director of Ray White Kohimarama and Ray White St Heliers tells us they have been sponsoring St Thomas’s School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) events for over ten years. St Thomas’s is one of two primary / intermediate schools in the suburb of Kohimarama, and is a state school which caters for students from Year 1 to Year 8 (aged 5 years to 13 years). Ray White’s long-standing relationship with the school started when one Ray White Kohimarama’s team members had a child at the school and was on the PTA, since then a number of Ray White Kohimarama’s staff members have had children and grandchildren at the school.
Peter Best, Director of Ray White Kohimarama, who actually lives adjacent to the school, comments: “We have a strong commitment to supporting local organisations, especially schools. St Thomas’s draws students from a broad area around us and has a student roll of just over 700… Our home adjoins the playing fields and we regularly get balls, hats, shoes, lunch boxes etc over the fence which I have pleasure in returning to the school office next day as the children are not allowed to go over the school fences. The office’s marketing team designed and produced many of the marketing materials for the event , and provided the office the opportunity to profile both their offices: Ray White St Heliers and Ray White Kohimarama. ABC Signs also supported the project – providing signage to promote the school’s event which was installed on a prominent high profile location at the school. “We have also launched a raffle for one of our Ray White yellow bicyles at the quiz night- which is opened for the month of July, so we look forward to seeing who takes home the bike!”
The Ray White team have also been involved in, and supportive of, other events run by the school throughout the year. – “Over the 10 years of Ray White Kohimarama’s sponsorship it is estimated that through the various functions and events the Kohimarama team have raised over $250,000 – which has gone toward various school projects” says Graeme Fraser, Auckland Business Performance Manager for Ray White New Zealand. “We are extremely proud of the passion and commitment our offices show to their local schools and communities.”