Cooking up a storm for school kids
Christchurch’s top chief executives earn big bucks to handle pressure, but can they cook more than an omelette?
Two hundred guests will gather at Christ College’s dining hall on Saturday to be served three courses by teams of the city’s most powerful business leaders, in the name of children’s charity.
Organised by the Christchurch City Mission, the Bayleys Plate Up For a Purpose event will see the bosses split into three teams with each team covering an entre´ e, main, or dessert, with the carnage being livestreamed to 200 guests.
Diners will vote and there will be both winners and losers.
Participants include Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge, Vodafone business director Lindsay Zwart, and Bayleys Canterbury chief executive Pete Whalan, who topped the fundraising charts for last year’s event.
Actor Oscar Kightley and TV host Stacey Morrison will host the night.
So far this year, $92,247 in total has been donated, and Whalan is leading again at $17,845.
Whalan said he was competitive by nature and loved a challenge. He hoped to be top of the fundraising come Saturday.
‘‘There’s a lot of fundraisers doing good work, but I definitely want to put the most money in the tin come the end.’’
He said being involved in the event again was an ‘‘extremely easy’’ decision, given the worthy cause.
The top local chefs helping them get plates on tables are Chillingworth Road’s Darren Wright, The George Hotel head chef Antony Page, and Richard Hingston, of Christchurch Casino.
A personal fundraising campaign by each business leader in the lead up to the event will raise money for the Christchurch City Mission’s back to school programme.
The aim is to raise $100,000 for the programme, which helps children from struggling Canterbury families get the uniforms, shoes and stationery for school their families cannot afford.
Donations can be made at the event’s Givealittle page.