Vandals wreck town’s festive joy
It’s the last time Graham Gunn will bother decorating the Huntly Christmas float.
He built the sleigh about seven years ago and hauls it around community events every year, but after it was vandalised, for the second consecutive year, he is giving up.
‘‘It’s the end of the Santa float,’’ Gunn said, ruefully.
‘‘It brought joy to many and something to destroy for others.’’
Gunn and two of his employees spent three hours decorating the float on November 24 so it could be used at a school gala that evening.
But when he went to pick it up from the school on Monday morning it was a mess.
Everything was broken and the decorations smashed.
‘‘All of the lights had been ripped off and the baubles, the signs wrecked and there was tagging inside it.
He was upset. ‘‘I love this community, I was born and bred in Huntly and I know virtually everyone who lives here. I still can’t believe people would do this.
‘‘I’m not fixing it. I’ve spent a lot of time and money on it and the same thing happened the year before.
‘‘It’s just a shame the few who wreck it also ruin it for the people who really appreciate it.’’
Last year, the Huntly Christmas Parade was tainted after money was stolen from a ticketing booth and Santa’s sleigh was vandalised.
The culprits were caught damaging the sleigh’s lights and pulling off the Christmas baubles.
This year a change in organisers meant there would be no Christmas parade in Huntly.
However, resident Timara Rapana was determined to organise some festive fun.
Rapana, along with a committee of six, have planned a Huntly Christmas in the Park celebration.
The event will include everything from dance performances to carnival rides – the only thing it
"It brought joy to many and something to destroy for others."
Graham Gunn
will be missing is Santa’s float.
The sleigh was going to sit next to the stage for kids to get a photo with Santa, Rapana said.
‘‘It’s iconic to Huntly but we’ve got no other option so there won’t be a sleigh this year.’’
Rapana said the vandalism had put a dampener on the event, but she was not going to let a handful of negative people ruin the event for everybody else.
‘‘We all need a positive outlook, we need to treat everybody equally and show our children they can love their town as much as we do and see the town come together as one.’’
For the past few months Rapana has been working seven days a week organising the festivities – it has even required her to resign from her cafe job.
‘‘I’ve trained up children in dance and they have worked super hard to get a good show put together.
‘‘I have awesome acts coming from as far as Mangere to come along and perform and I have found resources to get children free sunscreen, goodie bags, water, fruit, and loads of fun free activities, including a huge water slide.’’
Huntly Christmas in the Park is on today at the Huntly Domain.