News - 21st Variety Bash in 2011

Once again Power Parts was keen to sponsor the Silverdale Mowers entry in the annual Variety Bash. Pete and Judy Leishman are stalwarts of the Bash and enter their modified 1959 Pontiac every year. I was asked to be a part of the Variety Bash and eagerly accepted. Any chance to make a fool of myself in the aid of a good cause is not to be missed. Variety is the children’s charity, raising and distributing funds to disadvantaged and disabled children. This year was an important bash for Power Parts to support, as all the weeks fundraising focused specifically on helping the children affected by the Christchurch earthquake. As we toured we collected donations while distributing grants from the previous years fund raising. 150 Bashers helped distribute 25 grants totalling over $125,000 including one Sunshine Coach, two insulin pumps, specialised sports equipment, saddlery, musical instruments, bikes, car seats, three trampolines, specialised computer programmes, surf club wetsuits, books and learning resources.

Comprising of 25 Bash vehicles and 15 support vehicles, the Bash travelled 1500 kilometres from the Bay of Plenty to the Bay of Islands, participating in community events including Festival Matata, the A Ford Day at Mt Maunganui, the Katikati Wheelbarrow Race and the Paihia School Fair & Festival.

 

The Where’s Wally Power Parts Team, Pete and Judy Leishman, Variety President Joe Moodabe (honorary Wally for the day) and Bernie Duff.

This year The Power Parts Teams costume was outstanding and in fact it was so good that we won the “Best Presented Bash Team Award” for the best costumes and for consistently wearing them.

Where’s Wally? At the Papamoa Beach Surf Club dig.

The Bash kicked off in Te Puke and we made our way through various events to Hamilton. The Police gave us an escort under flashing lights and sirens over the toll bridge at Tauranga which was an exciting trip. We began the next day with breakfast as guests of New Zealand Post’s Hamilton distribution centre. We then headed off to Auckland performing various school visits and events until we arrived at Pete and Judy’s shop in Silverdale. Pete and Judy hosted the Bash for a BBQ and some fun events such as lawnmower racing. The next day we attended Red Beach School at Whangapararoa. Ronald MacDonald performed his “Magic Show” and Power Parts had the pleasure of presenting a cheque to Laura Underwood. Laura is a student of the Red Beach School and has a severe spinal birth defect. The cheque is to enable her mother to purchase a specialised frame to allow Laura to stand. It supports Laura to stand at the bench and “help Mum” and be as normal as possible.

The Power Parts Team present a cheque for $1840 to Laura, Mum & little Sister

Unfortunately, this is where I had to leave the Bash. They continued on up to the Bay of Islands. Over 4,000 children at 22 schools were visited and enjoyed a special kind of Bash sunshine, including a community project that was carried out at Rawene School, where the teams painted the playground and horse clubhouse, carried out some weed eating garden renovation, waterblasting and built a sandpit, while other team members did sporting activities with the school pupils. During the week over $240,000 was raised, which, is a great effort considering the times we are in.

At the final prize giving, the Power Parts Team was awarded the highly coveted “Variety Spirit of the Bash Award”. To the team that epitomizes the spirit of the Bash.

The Power Parts Pontiac thunders up Ninety Mile Beach

Get the December Bash Bulletin