Community comes together for family
‘‘We are so very humbled... We are forever grateful for all that's been done.’’
It all started with a post on Facebook and ended with the Taupo community rallying together to help out a Christchurch family who lost a loved one 10 years ago.
During the Waitahanui Community clean-up last weekend, litter crusader Carol Lamb, came across a wooden cross that had seen better days. The paint was chipped and faded and the wood was rotten but the name plate was intact.
Wanting to do something about the state it was in, Lamb posted a picture on to a community Facebook page – and the response was astonishing.
People who had never met came and offered to help get a new cross for Levi Lapsile-Duffy who lost his life on February 3, 2007 after the car he was travelling in collided with a truck.
Levi was from Christchurch and was a trooper for the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps.
One member, Erana King, wrote; ‘‘Ladies, that hurts my heart. I will buy a cross or have my husband make one and we can collaborate to have something for his name plate to be reattached.’’
Another member, Kim Harvey, said they could have the cross that had belonged to her mother before her headstone was put in.
‘‘I would love for Levi to have it.’’
Wanting to get permission from the family on arranging a new cross, Alana Boekhout and her investigative skills came in handy. She managed to find and contact Levi’s sister and mother.
On Thursday last week, despite the wet and miserable day, Lamb, Boekhout and Jeff Rowe drove to the site of the crash on Waitahanui hill and erected the new cross for Levi.
Rowe remembers the events clearly that ended with Levi’s cross being put at the top of the hill as he was the fourth person on the scene. He is proud to help out with the new cross after such a tragic accident.
Now, a bright white cross, compete with Levi’s dog tags and a flax flower, stand tall to help remember the fallen solder. And Levi’s family couldn’t be more grateful.
‘‘We are so very humbled that Carol found his cross and the community has offered such kindness by replacing this,’’ Levi’s mother said.
‘‘We are forever grateful for all that’s been done.’’