Liz Wright: fundraiser extraordinaire
Rotary member rewarded for charity work raising $150,000
From the grassroots level, Rotary clubs worldwide support Interplast — an accredited charity and international development agency they co-founded.
For 40 years, Interplast has sent teams of medical volunteers including surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health staff to developing countries through out AsiaPacific, where they provide life-changing surgery to those in need and also train local medical teams.
Recently, the efforts of New Zealand Rotarians in two districts were celebrated by Interplast Australia & New Zealand.
In Rotary District 9930, which covers Hamilton and surrounding areas in the heart of the North Island, Interplast district chairwoman for more than six years has been Te Awamutu Rotarian Elizabeth Wright. In that time she has raised more than $150,000.
At a thank you event held in Te Awamutu recently, key Interplast representatives, including Rotary co-ordinator Janette Etherington from Australia and local Interplast volunteer Iain Wakefield, as well as Rotarians from the district, recognised Wright’s exceptional service.
Wright was presented with a Paul Harris Fellowship with two sapphires in tribute to her extraordinary support of Interplast’s work.
The award acknowledges
Rotary service above and beyond the everyday service that all Rotarians commit to.
She has raised funds to send Interplast volunteer surgical teams to Fiji, Myanmar and Solomon Islands.
Her highly successful teddy bear raffle raised more than $10,000 to purchase a cleft simulation mannequin. The mannequin is a vital piece of training equipment, used by Dr Semesa Matanaicake in Suva,
Fiji, to train other surgeons from across the Pacific in how to perform cleft lip and palate repairs.
In accepting the award, Wright said: “It’s wonderful that Rotarians from 13 local Rotary clubs could join the Rotary Club of Te Awamutu’s meeting, to celebrate the fundraising achievements across district 9930 in support of the life-changing work that Interplast does.
“We’re proud that our local community can join forces to have such an enormous impact on people’s lives.”
Etherington, who is based in Melbourne, thanked Wright, her Te Awamutu club, Rotarians of district 9930 and the district staff for their amazing support of Interplast’s lifechanging work.
“Eighty patients in Southeast Asia and the Pacific have received life-changing care from Interplast thanks to the tireless endeavours of Elizabeth Wright and the generosity of Rotarians in the heart of the North Island,” she said.
“Equally importantly, each of these 80 surgeries provided training for local clinicians, helping to create sustainable local capacity.
“Untold numbers of patients of the future will also benefit from Elizabeth’s and Rotary’s support of Interplast.”
We’re proud that our local community can join forces to have such an enormous impact on people’s lives. Te Awamutu Rotarian Liz Wright
To find out more about Interplast’s work or to support the charity go to interplast.org.au