End of an era for popular school gala

Labour Weekend will be missing a major local attraction this year, as Matakana School shifts its fundraising focus away from its traditional Saturday gala to a new pre-Christmas after-school event.

The decision not to hold the gala in its usual format comes after a drop in profits over recent years, from a peak of more than $50,000 in 2013 to less than $25,000 last year, and less  demand for some second-hand items. After much discussion, organisers have decided to change the old format and try something new.

Board of Trustees member Melita Campbell, who looks after fundraising for the school and is a professional event manager, says many of the old gala favourites will be retained, but in a different guise.

“We have been looking at it over the last two years and analysing the benefits and, after last year’s decided it was time to refresh it,” she says. “We’re going to push it back a month to November 23, on a Friday afternoon and early evening, and focus on the holiday time of the year, make it more of a Christmas market focused on the school field.

“We’ll have lots of our regular stalls, which we know people love, like our books, bric-a-brac, quality homewares, cakes and preserves, plus food and entertainment. And the kids will be really involved, making things and selling them.”

She says the idea is to make it more of a community-based, fun event for locals that avoids a major public holiday.

“The gala has always attracted a lot of people from out of the area, but we want it to be more of a community event,” Melita says. “Galas have always been a lot of work, and we’re looking for ways to work smarter, not harder.”

The first Matakana School Gala was held in 1970, when the school roll was 196, and $3,400 was raised to buy books for the library. Since then, it has grown into one of the biggest events of its kind, with stalls, attractions and second hand goods filling the entire school and grounds, with crowds of bargain hunters queuing to get in before the gates opened at 7am.

The school’s annual Social Auction Night fundraiser will continue to be held, and is scheduled for June 29 this year with a ‘Vintage Glam’ theme.