Sunshine has been in short supply in Central Otago recently but free citrus fruit has been brightening many people’s days.
Clyde and District Lions Club project co-ordinator Kate Whyte said the Whangarei Lions Club and other Northland community groups collected citrus fruit from their home gardens in their area which was transported for free by Mainfreight to Cromwell.
More than half the Clyde club members spent four days packing 105 banana boxes of mixed citrus into 2050 bags that were given to "all the senior citizens we could find" in Alexandra and Clyde, Mrs Whyte said.
Bags were also taken to rest homes and staff at medical practices in Alexandra and Clyde as well as to Dunstan hospital, Living Options and the mental health unit.
Leftover lemons were used to make lemon honey, which would be sold to raise money for Lions’ projects, she said.
The Whangarei Lions Club had been gathering and gifting citrus fruit for 11 years, Mrs Whyte said.
