Veteran’s car loss sparks funds drive
Joel Briggs from Porirua Auto Crash couldn’t believe what he was seeing while watching Campbell Live one night.
He happened to catch the story about Matamata war veteran Hugh Pickering’s 1977 Mazda 323 being stolen. ‘‘I was disgusted,’’ he said. ‘‘I thought it was really low that someone could do this to a man his age.’’
Joel decided to do something about it and just over three weeks later he and his brother Joshua made the journey from Wellington to Fairview Motors in Matamata to present Mr Pickering with not just one, but three cheques.
‘‘Well I’ll be,’’ said a stunned Hugh Pickering.
‘‘Gosh there are no words. I can’t express my real feelings about all of this. This is just terrific. I don’t think I deserve it.’’
One cheque was for $101 which was the proceeds from a Trade Me auction, $1300 was donated from Turners Auctions in Wellington and a whooping $7149.10 came from funds raised holding sausage sizzles and other fundraising activities.
Joel set up a Facebook page after seeing Mr Pickering’s story on Campbell Live. To date that page has more than 1600 likes.
‘‘I’m a Mazda car enthusiast myself so I just really wanted to help him out,’’ Joel said.
Mr Pickering purchased a 2008 Mitsubishi i-Car for $8000 from Fairview Motors after Vaughan Nowell slashed the price of it by $2000.