Strawberry festival fundraiser returns

Strawberries. They’re sweet, juicy, red and for many herald the start of summer. But for the one in four terminally ill people in Wellington who access the care of Mary Potter Hospice they’re a key part of its fundraising efforts, raising close to $100,000 a year. The Mary Potter Hospice Strawberry Festival opened in Midland Park yesterday, with hundreds of people queueing up to get their strawberry sundaes. It was a welcome sight after last year’s festival was unable to go ahead due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. About 200 volunteers helped serve up the $6 strawberry sundaes – with more than 3500 punnets of strawberries and all other materials donated by various businesses. The Midland Park event has helped raise up to $50,000 in previous years.