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The organisers of Whangaparāoa School Gala had some anxious moments leading up to the event, on Saturday, September 10.
It’s the first local gala for the season – well ahead of the next few, which are at the end of October – but the weather was kind and the crowds turned up in force.
There were no rides this year, with the gala was focused on simple games such as the Bean Bag Toss, Teddy Toss, Chocolate Throw, Lucky Dip and Card Darts.
Co-organiser Jenny Lisefski says rides and things such as the White Elephant were cut from the gala in 2018, because they were not worth it from a financial perspective.
The Manly fire truck was not able to make it this year and activities on the field were curtailed because it was relatively muddy.
“The gala had a much smaller footprint this year – it was one of the things that was changed because of the Spring timing,” she says. She says the gala ticked all the boxes, including the main two – providing a fun community event and raising money for the school.
Food was a big feature, with a wide range on offer, including the ever-popular cake stall. A long queue formed for the toy stall. There was also a lane of market stalls featuring handcrafts, Lego and clothing.
Jenny says around $35,000 was raised, which was a fantastic result for the school.
