Community-minded pair hope fire engine fetches hot cash
It was bought to help boost a Tauranga men’s support group, but after sitting in storage for a year an old fire engine is up for sale.
Owners Mike and Charise Lawrence are hoping the engine goes to another community-minded owner so it can benefit everyone.
The couple tomorrow will launch Bromunity, an oversized man cave where men can chill out if they’re feeling angry or wanting to hit someone or their partner.
Mike Lawrence said they had kitted out his work space, Urban Automotive, with toys including Space Invaders and PlayStations, and also provided access to counsellors and people to offer budgeting advice.
The movement was nearly four years in the making.
However, taking up space and also budget was the unused fire engine, which had sat idle since they bought it about a year ago.
“Hopefully they can take their own approach and keep going with the community goodness because we’ve started another project to target grown men who may not be keeping their hands to themselves if they’re angry or who need some advice for budgeting or if they’re a bit embarrassed about not paying their bills.
“I’ll go to the person they haven’t paid and say, ‘Let’s make an arrangement on their behalf’.”
When Lawrence bought the fire engine he realised he didn’t have a truck licence. However, a Mongrel Mob member in his workshop at the time put up his hand to get it for him.
“He was a very tough guy but from the time that guy and his mate got in that truck in Mt Maunganui and got back to Tauranga they were laughing and cheering, and beeping the horn and turning on the siren, they just turned into little children.
“It really inspired me to say, ‘Look at the hearts inside those guys’. [The fire engine] turned the hardest men into the littlest of kids.”
Lawrence, a musician, said they had intended to use the truck in promotional activities for community awareness but it hadn’t worked out and keeping it in storage was too costly.
“The message was to buy a fire engine to wash away some of our community issues, that’s really why I bought it.”
Those issues, said Lawrence, included addictions such as P, litter and cleaning up rivers.
“We were going to do a litter drive and get harmful things out of rivers and turn the hoses on and wash it all away. Let’s wash away the bad stuff around our community. ”
As for how much they want for it, they’ve been offered $10,000, with the motor itself worth about $5000.
They hope to hear from more people because the money will be put back into their community projects.
Anyone keen to buy the fire engine can contact Mike or Charise Lawrence at Urban Automotive.
From tomorrow, Bromunity will be open 24 hours and will operate with help from volunteers from support group Kiwi Daddys.