FROM THE EDITOR

It’s something I have always wanted to do – hand over one of those great big novelty-sized cheques to a lucky winner and pose for a cheesy photograph. And this week, my dream came true!

I carted myself off to Whangarei along with two very large cheques (thank you to the Air New Zealand team who worked out how to get them on the little plane!) and delivered our Bake It Forward prize to two very deserving women at Kamo High School.

Chris Wilson blew me away with her kindness – she is a counsellor at the school and she baked a lovely cake to gift her colleague Cheryl, who runs the school’s whare awhi – a spot where struggling students can go to get both “aroha and kai”. The cake was left out for the kids to take a slice of, but in taking a piece, they were encouraged to pay it forward with an act of kindness to someone else.

It’s a neat school with amazing students and pretty extraordinary teachers, who will do anything for those kids. Generous Chris won our competition and received a $1000 voucher from Countdown, as well as another $1000 to pay it forward, but being the incredibly selfless woman she is, she gifted her own winnings onwards as well, to those who she said needed it more.

Sure, this week I got to tick something off the list, but instead, I actually witnessed something far more priceless – the true generosity and kindness of Kiwis.

Congratulations Chris and thanks for having me Kamo High – I’ll be back!

Enjoy your week.