Small Tairoa community pulls together
Even the smallest of communities can pull together to raise money to save lives.
Take tiny Taoroa, about 15 minutes east of Taihape.
There’s a school of 32 pupils and a community hall there, but not much else.
Apart from the 25 to 30 or so households in the neighbourhood, which is where this story begins for it was this community that raised $3500 a few months ago for a cause close to the hearts of everyone living in the area.
The money paid for a defibrillator, installed in a specially made cabinet in Pukeokahu Road, outside the hall and across the road from the school.
Hall committee treasurer Matt Churchward said paying for the ‘‘middle of the road’’ model defibrillator was only part of the exercise.
That accounted for about $1700 of the money raised, but another $1100 or so went on the cabinet, which had to be weather-proof, dust-proof and thief-proof.
It also had to be hooked up to an electricity source to keep the contents warm and house a thermostat so plunging winter-time temperatures didn’t wreck how it worked.
Churchward said what galvanised the community was the sudden death about 18 months ago of Taoroa farmer Joe Corpe.
He said Corpe was a fit, 50-something-year-old, who had a heart attack. A defibrillator probably wouldn’t have saved his life but his death got people thinking, said Churchward.
‘‘It was a kick in the guts for everyone,’’ he said.
The upshot was a claybird shoot in March, which raised the money for an external, publicly available defibrillator, which just might help save the life of the next person, either resident or passerby, who fell ill.
Upwards of 70 people turned up for the shoot, and raffles and entry fees did the rest. A simple code will enable people to gain access, as will use of an app.
Churchward said the fundraising day gave the community a collective focus it was in danger of losing and people were now likely to go on and raise money for other good causes.
Meantime money has been raised for a big TV for the hall which, it is hoped, will boost use of the building and bring people together for special occasions. Further afield, public defibrillators are planned for around Taihape township.