Easter Hop raises 'a pretty good total'

JULIA WADE

Proceeds from the recent Mangawhai Easter Hop Car & Bike Show have been calculated and handed over to two worthy community causes, with Mangawhai Domain Society [MDS] and the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Lifeguard Service receiving an equal cut.

After events expenses, a total of $9000 was shared out, with representatives from all parties meeting for a beer to celebrate at Wood Street Pizzeria on May 4.

Organised by Mangawhai Muscle & Classic Car Club [MMCCC] the Easter Sunday show was still a popular destination for locals and visitors alike despite thunderstorms and heavy rain. MMCCC founder/patron Bryan May says under the very wet circumstances the event still raised ‘a pretty good total.’

“I’m happy with the turnout and results on the day, we had some quality cars turn up and the fashion girls enjoyed it so they’ll be coming back next year,” he says. “The weather played a part in the final figure, but at the end of the day the town benefitted from the thousands of people who travelled in. The club’s grown, from 35 members four years ago to 700, so we’ll keep on doing the show every Easter.”

As guardians of the ‘only green space left in Mangawhai’, MDS chair Mike McGarry says hosting the car hop as well as being a beneficiary ‘is a great thing for the Domain.’

“We are a charity and have a commitment to maintain the grassy fields, it is expensive though and because we can't get an income, we need all the help we can get,” he says. “It's fabulous that these guys bring together the community with motorcars. It's entertainment. They provide children's fun and all the other things that go with a car show… unfortunately we just can't control the weather although people who stayed and hid under the buildings and other spaces until the rain passsed came out and had an absolute ball.”

Mike says the surf club have been ‘a phenomenal partner’ in the running of the hop, and has nothing but praise for the members who volunteered on the day.

“The surf club gets right in behind the event, they just turn up, did as we asked, supported everything and it went smoothly, which is fabulous for us,” he says. “In this little community, it’s what volunteers do, they step up and get on with it, it's just wonderful.”