The menu is set, the chefs are ready and now the tickets are sold out for Wakefield’s Harvest Long Lunch, adding about $10,000 to the fundraising efforts for the community hub.
Community facilitator for the Wakefield Community Hub’s fundraising project, Ruth Collingham, wonders whether love will be in the air at the lunch as a flurry of tickets were sold around Valentine’s Day.
“Tickets are sold out which is fantastic. We had massive sales over Valentine’s weekend, so I think people were buying them as presents. We were very surprised and delighted – maybe there will be romance!”
The lunch on 29 March at Wakefield School was sparked by local chef Volker Marecek and neighbours, with the aim of showcasing the best of seasonal, locally grown produce for a harvest-inspired feast. He will be joined by another celebrated New Zealand chef, Des Harris, to cook up a storm on the day.
Ruth says fundraising will continue at the lunch itself through raffles and a high-value prize auction, with generous prizes donated.
“It would be amazing if we could make another $10,000 on the day.”
The community needs to raise an estimated $2.5 million for its share of the total cost of the community hub which is proposed for the village.
Next fundraisers include a Country Players’ theatre production over two nights and tales from Antarctica.
