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The Auckland sailing community has rallied to help ensure more goals, tries, runs, and points will be scored across the city's sports fields, courts and courses this season, through their efforts with the 2024 NZLST Sport Gear Collection Drive.
The initiative, run by the New Zealand Sailing Team in conjunction with the REPLAY NZ Charitable Trust and Kindness Collective, approached yacht clubs in the City of Sails to donate used and unused equipment from various sports.
According to NZLST's high performance programme manager Hayley Dorward, the response has been very pleasing - with over 200 items from 15 sporting codes received.
"The drive aimed to utilise our connection to the community and provide an opportunity for families to donate goods they no longer need to ensure children, families and organisations will have access to sports equipment they may otherwise not have had," Dorward said.
"Items were collected from several yacht clubs across the region from late January and will be redistributed with the help REPLAY and Kindness Collective."
49er sailor Sam Bacon with some of the equipment collected.
REPLAY's Denise McLean said the organisation was grateful for the "amazing support" from the NZLST and the Auckland sailing clubs.
"A fantastic array of new and used sports gear was kindly donated to REPLAY to assist in our work of helping keep our communities active,” McLean said.
“Thank you again to the entire sailing community – your kind donation along with the collecting and dropping off of this sports gear was hugely appreciated."
Milford Cruising Club on Auckland's North Shore secured a sausage sizzle with the NZL Sailing Team, for making the largest contribution.
"The MCC has worked hard to be a resource for the community, and as a result, we are experiencing high levels of engagement through our social media channels. We are seeing a fantastic response from the local community when we ask them to support worthwhile causes, such as the Sport Gear Drive," said MCC Commodore Andrew Robertson.
"We partner and support a large number of charitable and community organisations. The MCC junior sailors look forward to meeting the NZ Sailing Team."
For more information on REPLAY, click here.
