Tokanui community celebrates Sandra Earwaker’s work
The Tokanui community turned out to celebrate the work of Sandra Earwaker as she received her first community service award.
Earwaker was presented with a Southland District Council/Waihopai Toetoe Community Board Community Service Award by Southland mayor Rob Scott at a ceremony last Saturday at the Tokanui Golf Course.
It was a “very big surprise”, Earwaker said.“I was going to have lunch at the Fortrose cafe, that’s what I was told, and yeah then dropped my husband off at golf but there was no golf and there was no lunch for me. It was a huge surprise.”
Earwaker grew up in Tokanui, only having left to train to be a teacher, and has been involved in multiple community groups over the years.
She rarely misses an opportunity to lend a hand or assist with any fundraising or catering request.
Earwaker has been involved with Tokanui Plunket, Playcentre, Toy Library, Toi Tois Guides and Scouts, the Tokanui Netball Club, Home and School, Toe Toes Community Pool, the Tokanui Memorial Hall, Enwood Hostel Parents Association and the Menzies Netball Centre.
She said the first thing she got involved with was the Tokanui community swimming pool.
At the time, Earwaker was a teacher at the local school and was “roped into” helping the facility and joining the committee.
“You certainly get involved with a lot of stuff because of your children.”
But she said it’s not hard to put your hand up and lend a helping hand.
Earwaker’s contribution to the swimming pool has been a driving force behind running the facility, often going above and beyond in her role of secretary.
Her contributions to the community have consistently enabled key facilities to keep ticking over nicely.
Earwaker has run the Tokanui Memorial Hall since 2004 and is responsible for all bookings and ensuring all jobs are done.
She lives just down the road from the hall, so she put her hand up to help.
“I’m going past every day, I can check that, perhaps I can take minutes. They’re not hard things.”
It brings Earwaker joy to contribute to the community and believes it is a great way to meet people, especially if you’re new to a town.
She reassured those that might be a bit nervous that 90% of these committee’s is about getting to know other people and making friends with common interests.
“You’ve got an excuse to go and visit them and have a cup of tea because you need to sort out the catering for something.”
In the end, Earwaker said it wasn’t about the accolades, it was about being proud of a job well done.
“When it all comes together and it’s finished and you look at it and you go, other people may not even notice it’s done, but you know.”
Being busy and involved in the community is just a “part of life” for
Earwaker, and while she may not get paid for all her extra curricular activities, she said the benefits are worthwhile.
Earwaker was also named a KiwiBank Local Hero in 2020, alongside her husband Selwyn.