Fundraising leap for summer luge project

THE Naseby summer luge project has received a huge fundraising boost, including a $15,000 donation from a Queenstown holiday park.

The Naseby Summer Luge Trust ran a Givealittle page from June 26, 2017 to Saturday night, which raised $23,390.

That was over one and ahalf times the target of $15,000.

When the Otago Daily Times last spoke to Summer Luge Trust chairman Eric Swinbourn in January, the page had only raised $2625.

The trust was aiming to fundraise $90,000 in total for the project, Mr Swinbourn said.

Grant funds of $45,000 had been pledged — $30,000 from the Otago Community Trust and $15,000 from the Southern Victorian Charitable Trust.

The trust also received $1000 in other donations.

That brought the fundraising total $610 shy of $70,000.

Queenstown Holiday Park and Motels Creeksyde contributed the largest Givealittle donation — $15,000, which alone matched the trust’s Givealittle target.

Holiday park coowner Erna Spijkerbosch said she and her husband Tonnie had ties to the Naseby community and wanted to support it.

‘‘The summer luge is dear to our hearts’’, she said.

Mr and Mrs Spijkerbosch, along with David and Jenny Proctor, gave the stainless steel luge that was once at Coronet Peak to the Naseby community to use for the summer luge.

‘‘The good saying is charity begins at home, so we decided to help Naseby,’’ Mrs Spijkerbosch said.

The couple own a cottage in Naseby which they rent to holiday makers and also had relatives who lived there.

Mr Swinbourn said the trust was ‘‘extremely happy’’ with the fundraising progress.

‘‘We hope that the progress we’ve made so far will motivate more individuals and other funders to get in behind us and help get us to $90,000 by the beginning of next summer so that construction can begin in earnest."

Mr Swinbourn said the cost of building the track was estimated to be $150,000, which would include the fundraising as well as donated goods and services.