Joan’s ‘big day out’ a special treat for kids
It’s Joan Hodgins’ birthday but the party isn’t for her.
To celebrate turning 90, the Ka¯piti woman has shouted a group of 34 children a day of adventure – both on land and in the air.
Scenic flights, a trip to Wellington Zoo and a double-decker ‘‘party bus’’ were all part of rewarding children who had overcome tough times, Hodgins said.
‘‘After all, it’s only money, isn’t it? More people should be doing this.’’
The successful businesswoman said her own childhood was made difficult by dyslexia and physical disability.
‘‘I overcame that and went on to have a very fortunate life. I thought that instead of having a lavish birthday party, I could do something for children with difficulties. After all, if you’re fortunate, isn’t it nice to give to someone else?’’
She had toyed with the idea of throwing a children’s party for some time but the organisations she approached preferred money instead.
When Kenakena School principal Bruce McDonald spoke about the school’s dyslexia programme at a Probus meeting, she was inspired.
Hodgins worked with school staff to organise the event, although she was firm on a couple of must-haves. ‘‘I wanted the children to fly in a plane, because so many don’t have that opportunity, and I wanted a doubledecker bus.’’
Yesterday morning, wearing ‘‘Joan’s Big Day Out’’ caps, the group boarded the helium balloon-filled bus for Paraparaumu Airport and a relay of flights above the district. Party bags provided morning tea for the drive into Wellington and a tour of the zoo before the party headed to an indoor playground for lunch and a birthday cake.
At the zoo, 8-year-old Liam Faithfull said he had a ‘‘very, very happy day’’ and was looking forward to the bus ride back to Ka¯ piti.
‘‘The best part was morning tea on the bus. The thought of it is still making me happy.’’
Shelby MacGregor, 12, thought Hodgins was ‘‘a very kind person to pay for all of this’’.
‘‘She must like kids. The most surprising part was finding out she was 90, I thought she was 25.’’