Club raises funds for farmers affected by cyclone

Upper Manuherikia Young Farmers Club president Hope Oliver, of Lauder Creek, shuts a gate droving cattle. PHOTOS: SHAWN MCAVINUE

• Pictures from the calf sale

Q. I hear your club is fundraising? What for?

We are aiming to give $5000 to farmers affected by Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay.

Q. How has the club raised the money?

We tailed lambs for local farmers Geoff McAtamney and Fred Armstrong in November and we are doing this, one of our biggest fundraisers, where teams of roughly eight club members were drovers at the two calf sales in Omakau.

Cyclists stop on the Otago Central Rail Trail to watch Upper Manuherikia Young Farmers Club member Neil Cowie, of Tokanui, drove cattle at the Omakau Second Calf Sale last week.

Q. Do you have any other fundraisers coming up?

We are holding a ball at Becks Hall on July 29 and we raise a lot from that.

We held a ball a couple of years ago to raise money for Rural Support and this year we are going to fundraise for the new community hub in Omakau.

Q. Why did you decide to send your fundraising effort this year offshore to the North Island?

We’d like to think if something similar happened down here they’d help us out as well.

We want to send the money directly to the farmers so we know it’s going to help.