Rua Consultancy director Karen Hattaway said raising money to repatriate the body of Rob Raisele to his family in Gau, Fiji, felt like the right thing to do.
Mr Raisele died unexpectedly in Cromwell last week.
Ms Hattaway and partner John Nicholson were involved in administering CPR to Mr Raisele last Wednesday morning and spent his last moments with him.
Mr Raisele, who had been in Cromwell on a working visa since 2022 to provide for his wife and two children at home in Fiji, also has a brother living in Cromwell.
On Sunday afternoon Ms Hattaway approached Carrick Winery owners Alison and Tony Cleland and Cromwell chef and La Bogetta owner Armando Varlotta, who all responded enthusiastically to the idea of a fundraising dinner.
"It was such a sad loss to the community and the Fijian community in Cromwell and like [the Clelands and and Mr Varlotta] we just had a genuine concern to want to help," Ms Hattaway said.
"We’re lucky that the whanau at Carrick and the whanau of Armando and La Bogetta immediately said yes."
Having Mr Varlotta back in the kitchen was a huge attraction, along with the venue and wines of Carrick, she said.
There were just 30 tickets at $380 each available for Saturday night’s dinner, and by yesterday morning, about half were sold.
As well as dinner and wine, guests would enjoy entertainment, along with a silent auction.
Artist Kirk Munro, who was exhibiting at Carrick Winery, would auction his work, beginning at the current sale price.
The entire ticket price and proceeds from the auction would go to the Raisele family.
Everyone involved was donating their time and nothing was being deducted for the cost of the meal and wine.
Businesses were continuing to come forward to help. New World Cromwell had donated all the meat for the dinner and Felton Road and Wooing Tree wineries had offered wine.
It would cost between $15,000-$17,000 to send Mr Raisele’s body home, Ms Hattaway said.
