Around 170 people took a seat at a banquet table at Wakefield School on Sunday to rub elbows and break bread, with the community generosity on their plates and in their glasses.
The Harvest Long Lunch on Sunday, served up by about 30 local volunteers and acclaimed Kiwi chefs Des Harris and Volker Marecek, was a feast with a purpose.
Wakefield needs to dish out an estimated $2.5 million towards its share of the proposed new community hub, which has a mid-2027 deadline.
While the final total from the ticket sales, raffles and a high-value prize auction is yet to be confirmed, organisers say the event has provided an appetiser for the campaign.
Volunteer Don Everitt says the support from local producers who provided the bounty, the live music, an appearance from New Zealand celebrity chef Simon Gault, and the community wining and dining was “marvellous”.
“The support we've got from the community gives us another shot of energy,” he enthuses.
“Wakefield deserves a cause such as the community hub, so it's going to be good to see everybody getting behind it.”
Upcoming fundraisers for the community hub include a Country Players’ theatre production over two nights and tales from Antarctica.
