Hospice to benefit from sale of house

From left: president of Dunedin South Rotary Bernie Crayston, Otago Polytechnic business...
From left: president of Dunedin South Rotary Bernie Crayston, Otago Polytechnic business relationship adviser Bevan Rickerby, Otago Polytechnic chief executive officer Phil Ker, carpentry lecturer Matt Thompson and carpentry programme manager Graham Burgess. Photo by Jane Dawber.
A "soft spot" for the Otago Community Hospice and what the organisation means to the community has seen it secure a $20,000 donation from an Otago Polytechnic charity house auction.

On November 22, the polytechnic will hold a charity auction of a house which carpentry students built during the year.

The proceeds will be administered by Dunedin South Rotary.

The two groups decided a minimum of $20,000 would go to the hospice, polytechnic chief executive officer Phil Ker said.

"If the price is as good as last year, the hospice will be getting a lot more than $20,000."

The decision to support the hospice with such a significant donation was an "easy one to make".

Mr Ker saw the hospice as a community asset worthy of support and believed the Otago Daily Times "Help the Hospice" campaign was "absolutely excellent".

"It's quite motivating for others to get behind it too."

The hospice was deserving of all the support it received because of the fantastic work it did, he said.

"I don't think there is any one of us who hasn't been affected in some way by friends and relatives who have become terminally ill."

He said the effort the students put into their project made it a great buy and a lovely house.

The project taught the students key carpentry skills and they contributed to their community as well, Mr Ker said.

"They are proud of what they built but they are equally proud that the proceeds are benefiting the community."

Dunedin South Rotary president Bernie Crayston said the hospice, as the major beneficiary of the auction, would secure a "substantial dollop" of money.

The club had been supporting the hospice for many years, not only because one of its members was a founding trustee of the hospice, but because it was an invaluable organisation.

Each year, the club held a remembrance tree service to help people remember loved ones they had lost and to raise money for the hospice.

 

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