Howick Rotary's team sorting and packing blankets at the War Memorial Information Centre
From Left to Right: Glenice Yeoman, Carole Ansley and Pat Abercrombie.
 
The Blankets 4 kids 4 Winter appeal organized for the month of May by Howick Rotary wound up last Friday. The hundreds of blankets that were donated were sorted and packed at the War Memorial Information Centre ready for distribution to families in need through Stand Children’s Services, All Saints Anglican and Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Churches. There was also a large number of cot and smaller blankets that will be delivered to Auckland’s Liitlemore Baby Charity next week.
Rob Mouncey Convenor for the project said ‘we anticipated lower numbers this year due to local families having given their spare blankets in previous years so we organized a donation portal through our web site to purchase new blankets.  In fact, this year there was also a significant quantity of new blankets that people generously purchased themselves to drop off. The money from the donation portal combined with members donations being matched by the Howick Rotary’s Community Trust provided a sum in excess of $1500. We then approached Briscoes to seek their support and with their generous discount there will be a substantial quantity of new blankets from this source.” 

Howick Rotary President Malcolm Pascoe said “the success of this project is a measure of the caring and generous community we live in. It is really pleasing to know that by working together we can ensure that more needy kids are kept warm this winter”.