The grand Bookarama sale of books, games, puzzles, LPs DVD’s and CDs concluded successfully on the last Sunday of the school holidays.
Hundreds if not thousands of people visited the five-day sale at Somerville Intermediate’s gymnasium and made their purchases of donated items.
From the purchase of one book of interest, annual reading material or the purchase of items for re-sale through second hand or on-line retailers, people came from far and wide to make the sale another big success for Howick Rotary.
The money raised from the event supports the wide range of community projects that the club runs throughout the year.
From its inception, Bookarama has enabled the club to pump over a half a million dollars back into the community.
Apart from being a financial success, the event has become a community success story.
While Howick Rotary members plan, manage and provide a huge manpower input, the project now involves Ray Whites Real Estate for storage and sorting, Placemakers for collecting, sorting and storage, Coastguard and Pakuranga Tennis Club for the big move and set up at Somerville Intermediate, Times Media Group and numerous retailers, cafes, bars and schools for promotion and collection depots.
“If we did not have the support of the whole community, Bookarama would not be possible” said Bookarama convenor Geoff Thompson.
“So, it is really appropriate that the money we raise goes back into the community.”
Malcolm Pascoe, Howick Rotary’s president, commented, “It is a great source of pride to the club that in the last Rotary year, with the help of the associated Thomas Brydon Trust, the club has made grants of more than $60,000 to a vast range of local and international community projects.
“They include $10,000 for Coastguard operations, $10,000 for Cyclone Gabrielle relief aid, $8820 for relief aid in Ukraine, $7200 for ShelterBox, $11,900 for a range of youth-related projects at Howick College and Somerville Intermediate, $3300 for the Howick Historical Village projects, $2150 for the All Saints Christmas Lunch Box Appeal and $1900 for the HVA to purchase picnic tables for market square.”
