Festive spirit in can-do response
Mount Maunganui brought the Santa spirit last night when collectors for the Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal hit the streets collecting cans for the foodbank.
Bay of Plenty Times staff received a warm welcome when they visited homes on streets including Campbell Rd, Tay St, Orkney Rd, Clyde St, Valley Rd and Oceanview Rd.
The total number of cans collected was not yet known, but last week's can drive in Bethlehem collected a huge 607 food items plus $36.50 in cash.
Foodbank chairman Mike Baker, who drove the foodbank van to collect donations, said the can drives had provided a welcome boost to the foodbank shelves.
The Bay of Plenty Times Christmas Appeal was launched last month and will run until Christmas Eve.
So far, it has raised more than $7223.24 in food and cash.
A new weekly tally will be announced on Saturday.
The Bay of Plenty Times has asked local businesses and schools to support the Christmas Appeal by holding their own can collections. So far, schools that have committed to the cause are St Mary's Catholic School, Papamoa Primary School, Otumoetai Intermediate, Greenpark School, Tauranga Girls' College, Bellevue School, Otumoetai College and Zahnee Campbell and students at St Thomas More School
Tauranga Boys' College runs its own foodbank appeal every August. Tauranga law firm Cooney Lees Morgan has also generously donated a van-load of food to the foodbank.
