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The Kowhai Festival Great Debate is the latest casualty of the current Covid-19 Red setting.
The annual debate, organised by Warkworth Toastmasters, is normally held during the Kowhai Festival, but was shifted to February 26 because of last year’s lockdown.
Club spokesperson Murray Chapman says the decision was taken to err on the side of caution.
“Even if we get half the omicron cases they are predicting, it would be too much of a risk,” he says. “Particularly given the age of our audience.”
This is the third year that Covid has forced the debate’s cancellation. It is run as a fundraiser for hospice and normally attracts around 300 people. The last cheque Toastmasters handed over amounted to $7800.
The moots this year were to have been ‘Should Warkworth be renamed South Matakana?’ and ‘Married men live longer’.
Murray has set a new tentative date of July 2.
