Projects

GATEWAY GAMES

November 2004 saw the 22nd and final Gateway Games held at Totara Springs. Athletes attending have been gradually falling since the participants have moved from institutions into community houses over recent years.

The Gateway Games has been one of the Kiwanis major annual projects. Kiwanis from Division 2 (Matamata, Morrinsville, Te Awamutu, Westside, Kirikiriroa) helped organise and run the Kiwanis Regional Gateway Games for people with a variety of physical and intellectual disabilities.

The athletes participated in various athletic events (long jump, horse shoe throw, frisbee throw, discus, javelin, hoop throw, bean bag throw, club throw, gumboot throw, shot put, softball throw, walking and running), as well as bowls and swimming, not forgetting the disco on Saturday night!!!

In past years, we have donated money regularly to the New Zealand Foundation For The Blind to assist in the training of guide dogs.

Each year, clubs in Division 2 in New Zealand contribute towards the cost of sending a young person to Australia for a fortnight. Applications are invited from throughout Division 2 and criteria for selection are strictly adhered to. Applicants must show they come from a family where overseas travel would not usually be a possibility, but applicants must also show they would be able to cope in an unfamiliar environment away from friends and family for two weeks. While in Australia, exchangees are hosted by members of Kiwanis Clubs of Division 6 in Melbourne and enjoy a wide range of visits and activities in the Melbourne area. At the same time, a student of similar status is selected by Division 6 Melbourne clubs to travel to the Waikato to be hosted by Division 2 clubs here. While in New Zealand, exchangees undertake a wide range of activities and visits to Hamilton, Matamata, Morrinsville, Te Awamutu, Tauranga, Mt Maunganui, Rotorua, Otorohanga Kiwi House and Waitomo Caves amongst others.

Bruce Entwisle, from the Doncaster-Templetowe Kiwanis Club in Division 6, is the Youth Exchange Coordinator for Australia, and Jim Kyle from the Matamata Kiwanis Club in Division 2, is the New Zealand Coordinator.

Kiwanis clubs around the world have been involved in raising funds for IDD to help eliminate iodine deficiency that was endemic in many under-developed countries. New Zealand clubs' fundraising was directed towards Nepal and surrounding countries. The project was so hugely successful that the South Pacific District began looking for a major project nearer home.

The Kidz First Children's Hospital in Auckland was chosen as the recepient of our current fundraising. Specifically, we are supporting the Kidz First Burns and Plastic's Unit, which is the major specialised children's burn unit serving the South Pacific region. About 170 children are admitted to the Unit each year. In some cases, children may stay several months along with a parent or guardian who must be accommodated and catered for too.

The project, beginning in 2002, was intended to last 3 years to raise $150,000 to purchase one Mobile Anaesthetic Delivery Unit (the Kiwanis International Foundation is also contributing by running a dollar for dollar subsidy for all funds raised). However in just 12 months that target was reached, and in March 2003 Kidz First received its first Mobile Anaesthetic Delivery Unit.

Since then, enough money has been raised to purchase a second machine which was handed over by Gay McNamara (NZSP Kiwanis District Chairperson) in April 2004.

Not content with the two machines, Kiwanis is continuing the project to the conclusion of the 3 year period. An additional $12,000 has been donated to enable Kidz First to purchase a much needed portable vacuum machine, which assists in the healing of skin grafts. Further fundraising will enable a machine which helps with the gradual movement of limbs that have been immobilized by burns to be purchased.

Members of the Matamata Kiwanis Club have been meeting their fundraising targets so far through selling firewood, and running a battery recycling scheme (with the support of many Matamata businesses). We will be presenting a further donation this year.

The photo above shows Past President Ken Smith handing over the first cheque from the Matamata Kiwanis Club to project coordinator Gay McNamara.

With this project complete, Kiwanis commitment to children with burns continued with the club supporting the South Auckland Health Foundation's fundraising campaign for the National Burn Centre.

The new facility, based onsite at Middlemore Hospital, will treat the worst burn patients from across New Zealand - both adults and children.

Division 2 Kiwanis Clubs have regularly been involved in fundraising for specialised equipment at Waikato Hospital.

The first project was donating various goods to the Children's Ward to make it a more colourful and welcoming enviroment.

The latest project was to raise funds for a $30,000.00 ultrasound machine for the Paediatric Anaesthetic Department which will enable staff to perform less dangerous and more reliable procedures on children. The new machine will be used to locate lines in small veins of babies and young children, which means pain relief can be provided more rapidly, efficiently, reliably and safely.

Money was raised through a charity golf tournament and with donations from individual clubs.

Pictured above is Yvonne Joynes, on behalf of Kiwanis, presenting the new ultrasound machine to Waikato Hospital paediatric anaesthetist Hugh Douglas.

The recipient of funds raised from one year's golf tournament was the Cystic Fibrosis Society (for equipment worth $21,000.00).

One of our larger donations was to Pohlen Hospital for the refurbishment of what was a hallway into the Kiwanis Quiet Room, a place for patients and their families to take some time out.

Pictured is Treasurer Garry King presenting the cheque to Anton Turner (CEO), accompanied by (left to right) Barbara Travers (Director of Nursing), and Kiwanis members Allan Fairweather, Merv Josephs, Arthur Wade and Daph Wade.

For many years, one of our annual projects has been providing marshals on one of the stages near Matamata. Unfortunately, declining member numbers have prevented us from helping officially for the last few years. There was quite a bit of excitement at one corner! Check out the angle parking... (photos courtesy of Deborah).....