Hospice fundraising stalwart in the picture
When long-time Hospice Taranaki supporter Patricia Gall received a large photo of herself as thanks for growing and donating plants, she was dazzled and delighted.
‘‘That’s me to a tee,’’ the 93-year-old exclaimed during a surprise morning tea at her Merrilands home in New Plymouth.
‘‘Thank you, thank you, thank you – it’s absolutely mindblowing for me to have this.’’
The picture of Gall was taken in 2020 by photographer Andy Jackson for a Stuff story focused on her plant-giving efforts, and was going to be in the upcoming NZ Photojournalism Charity Auction for Hospice Taranaki.
‘‘It was one of the first photos I thought of, obviously with the link with hospice,’’ Jackson told Gall.
‘‘It was going to be part of the auction, but we thought it would be best to come to you and your family.’’
‘‘It’s absolutely mind-bogglingly lovely,’’ said Gall, who began growing plants for Hospice Taranaki’s Westown shop in 2006.
About 30,000 seedlings and 16 years later, she hung up her spade this year.
For the morning tea, Hospice Taranaki community partnerships lead Rose Whitaker and Hospice Shop manager Jessica Sinclair arrived with a basket of muffins for Gall, who used to deliver her plants every Monday about 7.30am.
‘‘I miss you coming in with your plants,’’ Sinclair said. ‘‘I don’t have anyone to take your place.’’
‘‘I don’t know what started me off, but it was a great pleasure for me to do that,’’ Gall said.
Sometimes she misses her charity efforts. ‘‘Just the odd day I’ve thought, ‘I wish I had gone on doing that’.’’
Sinclair said the Westown hospice shop, one of five in Taranaki, clocked up 300 to 400 sales per day. ‘‘That’s not counting the people who come in and look.’’
Whitaker said the region’s hospice shops were a fundraising staple for the free palliative care service. ‘‘The hospice shops provide our second-largest income following our government Health NZ funding.’’
Funding for the hospice is split between the Government providing 45% through a contract with Te Whatu Ora Taranaki (formerly the Taranaki District Health Board) and 55% from the community, which includes the shops.
This year, because of the Covid pandemic, there have been fewer fundraising efforts by community groups, meaning Hospice Taranaki is facing a shortfall of about $1.1 million.
Hearing about the dire financial situation, veteran photographer Rob Tucker decided to take action, calling on the ‘‘brotherhood’’ of photojournalism to donate images for an auction.
More than 120 photos will go under the hammer at the Plymouth International hotel on September 24 to raise money for Hospice Taranaki, which is caring for Tucker, who has terminal cancer.
Tickets are now on sale and available from the Plymouth International or online at photojournalismnz.co.nz.