Older Business Club news
Summer 2009
- Kelly Tarlton’s continue their support and become our newest member
- Chelsea Sugar joins the club
- Supper club dance 2009 — a Rock ’n’ Roll success
Spring 2009
- Cleancorp moves us
- Corporate Express — making a difference NZ wide
- Welcome Sam!
- Ray White Staff go extra mile
Summer 2008
- Ready steady cook
- Clearlite’s sizzling sale
- G.J. Gardner Homes gets creative
- Rai and Bow bring joy to house
Winter 2008
Kelly Tarlton’s continue their support and become our newest member
Kelly Tarlton’s is well known to our families for providing a welcome break and most importantly a fun day out after months of worry. A lovely letter from one of our House families expresses how they felt: “Our stress wasn’t as big as some others but to us it was still huge. But we still appreciate the time and assistance that was given to us. Also for the voucher to go to Kelly Tarlton’s was a cool reminder not to take anything for granted. We wouldn’t have been able to afford it without your help. It was good to be out and about as a whole family unit again.”
Chelsea Sugar joins the club
A big welcome to Chelsea Sugar and Jo Baikie, Marketing Manager. Chelsea Sugar is now supplying the House with free sugar! With 32,000 cuppas provided last year in our Family Room alone its not surprising it’s one of our fastest moving food items! Clearlite was instrumental in making this happen so a big hug to Sarah Rennie for going out of her way to put our two organizations together.
Supper club dance 2009 — a Rock ’n’ Roll success
A fabulous night was had by all attendees at our very first Supper Club event, largely organised and substantially supported by our special Business Club members.
Thanks to Pacific Blue and Aggie Grey’s, one of our special guests, Chris Steele, has recently returned from enjoying a week of sunshine in Samoa. He and companion Michele (of Business Club member Brookfield Multiplex) stayed on another week at their own expense to help out with the Tsunami cleanup. Great work you two!
Shane Cortese and his band were stars on the night. Mark Wright was a fabulous MC and the Production Company did a great job. Mum Tiffany staying in the House had her first night out for two years and made a very special heart felt and impromptu speech of thanks to everyone involved in the House. Shane has since made a quick visit to the House to catch up with this lovely family and meet their little daughter Eva who featured in our last issue.
Once again thank you to the organizers, donors and supporters — for a full list see thanks and big hugs.
Cleancorp moves us
Check out this wonderful addition to the House fleet of family friendly vehicles. The generous gift of new Business Club member Cleancorp Franchise Systems, Yolande Ellis, Director (Yo to her friends) and her 45 franchisees, comes beautifully imaged, with a fuel card and insurance. Now families have access to this fabulous Dodge wagon so they can safely visit friends in the region, go shopping or just take time out. Fundraising staff also have access to a moving billboard for events such as last weekend’s garden fundraiser where it had pride of place in Palmers carpark. A BIG thank you.
Corporate Express — making a difference NZ wide
Stationery, office equipment, furniture and more, are now all covered by Corporate Express, another new Business Club member making a big dent in our administrative outgoings — we are very grateful. Carina Venter, Marketing Manager said after her visit, “It’s a fantastic charity and we are very proud to support the RMH Auckland Trust financially, but we also value the fact that our staff will be involved by volunteering their time to support those in need”. Corporate Express staff from Wellington and Christchurch will also be volunteering at our sister houses in their regions.
Welcome Sam!
Congratulations to Nicole (CityLife GM) and husband Steve whose baby boy, Samuel Philip Lawson arrived on June 10th at 9.23am — a tad small and a tad early! Weighing in at just 5lbs 6oz, Steve quipped “Whilst Sam was a touch on the small side, he is legal in the fishing world and we won’t be throwing him back”. All of your friends at the House and in the Business Club are thrilled for the three of you! PS: There must be something in the water as Sarah Rennie, Marketing Director of Clearlite and partner, Gavin are also awaiting the pitter patter of little feet! And of course, so is our very special own Fundraising Manager Rebecca and partner Phil!
Ray White Staff go extra mile
Ray White Taupo turns 1 — staff from Ray White Taupo have decided to support families from their town staying with us, by donating $50 when locals list and sell their properties with them. But thats not all, turning one in August they are celebrating by holding a month of community activities that promote their support of the House and local families using us. Thanks Trevor and the fabulous Taupo team! Ray White Whakatane movie night
Ray White Whakatane raised a whopping $1,250 on the 17th of June by holding a movie night fundraiser. Local businesses came on board with prizes and community spirit was high with 90 attendees seeing the premiere of comedy blockbuster The Hangover — hopefully not an omen for the next morning!
Thanks too to these Ray White branches that have joined our Business Club since the last newsletter: Epsom, Invercargill, New Lynn, Mairangi Bay, Browns Bay, Kingsland, Palmerston North, Whangaparoa, Taupo, Rotorua, Whakatane, Papakura, Taranaki and Opotiki.
Ready steady cook
Our first Business Club function was held at the Auckland Seafood School in September 2008 and was a great opportunity for our newer members to meet, and for existing members to catch up once more.
Connie Clarkson, previous owner of the French Café in Auckland and Metro food writer, was our MC and guest chef for the evening. Groups were given a mystery box of ingredients and a limited time frame in which to make their creations — with AUT chefs on hand to lend advice and ensure all meals were in fact edible!
Who would have thought we had so many Gordon Ramsays in one place! The winning dish was a masterful creation cooked by Jillian (Feltex), Peter and Christine (EZGO) and our very own Lisa Kagho. Second place went to Julie (Multiplex), Niels and Rita (RMHA Trustee and his wife) and Cezar (ASB). And let’s not forget the wooden spoon award which went to Brent (GJ Gardner), Manisha (Clearlite), Nicola (Cerebos) and Manuela (ASB). The evening finished with fish and chips kindly supplied and freshly cooked by OCEANZ. Big thanks to everyone for getting involved and making it such a fun night.
Clearlite’s sizzling sale
Our friends at Clearlite Bathrooms kindly gave us an opportunity to raise funds at their August 2008 clearance sale by running a sausage sizzle outside their showroom, and a Lucky Dip for the House. Thanks to Sarah and her team! Also special thanks to Mya Tamatea (pictured) and her family for helping us out on the day. Mya and her family have been staying with us since June 2007 while Mya is on the waiting list for a new kidney.
G.J. Gardner Homes gets creative
Throughout June/July 2008 all kids in the House had a chance to win some fantastic prizes by entering an artwork competition (exclusive to House kids!) sponsored by Business Club partner G.J. Gardner Homes.
‘My Favourite Things’ was the theme and children could enter as many times as they liked. The three lucky winners each receive a prize and certificate and along with the runners-up also have their artwork featured on the G.J. Gardner Homes website for all to see!
A big congratulations to our winners (artwork pictured left to right):
- Ebony Hapi, from Masterton, age 6 (winner, age 1-6 years group)
- Etivina Maafu, from Kaitaia, age 11 (winner, age 7-11 years group)
- Turua Quilter, from Hastings, age 14 (winner, age 12-16 years group)
Also, congratulations to everyone who entered. To see all entries including our runners-up please visit www.gjgardner.co.nz.
Rai and Bow bring joy to house
Rainbow’s End staff and their resident clowns Rai and Bow joined us for a Wednesday family dinner. Rai and Bow did a fantastic job keeping the children amused until bedtime with some fabulous balloon creations and singing and dancing. One of the evening’s highlights was hearing one of our smaller ‘House guests’ rushing up to his Mum saying he just had to introduce her to the “Boss of Rainbows End ” ... What a job Chris!
Welcome Brookfield Multiplex
Brookfield Multiplex Group is a diversified property business with operations in construction, development, property services, asset management and investment management around the world. Always striving to provide a balance of work/life experiences for all its staff, Brookfield Multiplex visited Ronald McDonald House and experienced first hand the achievements and enthusiasm of the people involved.
They were sold on what they could do through the Business Club to contribute in a manner that would be a win-win for everyone.
Ray White gets physical
Auckland’s annual Round The Bays fun run took place in March 2008 with Ray White Corporate staff and their families, plus staff from the Ray White Thames branch (who drove up especially!), taking part to promote their support for our House.
Well done to Hayley Johnstone from accounts and her sister Monique who managed to finish the race running the entire way!
A warm welcome to the 13 new Ray White branches who have joined the Business Club since our last newsletter — Church Corner, Ellerslie, Glen Eden, Glenfield, Greenlane, Hornby, Invercargill, Lincoln, Manly, Merivale, Parnell, Remuera and St Albans (that’s a total of 28 branches now onboard!).
