Hobsonville Bowling Club – an outstanding contribution. Report by Lindsay Knight

  • March 24, 2023

 A wonderful gesture by Hobsonville club members, in coming to the aid of bowlers in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay affected last month by Cyclone Gabrielle, was formally recognised this week.

 Through a raffle and a social night Hobsonville members, led by one of its juniors Nigel Rattray, raised more than $3000, which went directly to several of their fellow bowlers who had lost virtually everything because of the cyclone.

  Promising North Harbour bowler Shaun Goldsbury, son of Gisborne-East Coast centre president and leading Poverty Bay bowler Steve, on behalf of those victims this week visited the Hobsonville club to formally pass on their thanks.

 Shaun described what Hobsonville had done was a great example of the bowls community helping one another. “It was an awesome what they did,” he said.

 Nigel, who plays often with and against Shaun in Harbour junior ranks, contacted him offering to help and sought his aid in ensuring with his dad, Steve, that the money went to the those who most needed.

 He knew of at least half a dozen people in Gisborne who had lost most of their possessions and of some who could not afford to pay for their weekly groceries. A similar number had been affected in Hawke’s Bay and Steve had been able to work with Hawke’s Bay officials to ensure they, too, were helped.

 Shaun was also aware that Central Otago bowlers had also organised a tournament to help those on the North Island’s East Coast.

 Nigel’s original hope at Hobsonville had been to raise between $500 and $1000, but the raffle and social night reached almost $2000 and to enhance the gesture the Hobsonville board contributed another $1000.

 

Shaun Goldsbury (right) thanking Nigel Rattray for the help the help the Hobsonville club gave Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay bowlers affected by Cyclone Gabrielle.