A colourful idea has secured a school van for St Joseph’s School in Temuka.
Friends of St Josephs (FOSJ) hosted a colour canter at the Temuka Domain last weekend to raise funds for the purchase and upkeep of the van.
FOSJ spokeswoman Amy Downes said the event had 388 entries, but with the spectators cheering entrants on there would have been “well over 400 people”.
Ms Downes said in the week running up to the event there had been 163 entries, with 58 registering on the day.
“It took a lot of time and effort.
“However, to see the massive smiles and to hear the laughter from the kids and adults made it worth it.”
She said the event — including the raffle and silent auction — raised a whopping $16,000.
“Everything went without a hitch.
“We had more than enough volunteers for the day, and everyone had such a blast.
“Everyone is raving about how well organised it was and how much fun they had, which makes us very happy to hear.”
A school van was expected to eliminate barriers for the pupils and the school by reducing the number of drivers needed.
The event had been planned to be a way to give back to the community, and work as a thank you to those who had been behind them from the start.
