By law, it is required that the profits from poker machines are put back into the community to benefit local charities and community initiatives. It is not often that we hear about pokie players doing the same with their personal winnings – but Pauline Hope has broken the mould. While the Wanaka Women’s Bowl club visited Greymouth for a tournament, the team fancied a punt on pokies.
Ms Hope won $100 on the games but was unsure about what to do with winnings right away. Soon after, they stumbled on a wool sale and decided to spend the small windfall on a bulk purchase of raw wool. After returning home to Wanaka, they launched an initiative to knit wool beanies for the local hospice shop. According to the Otago Daily Times Several hats were made and donated to the shop to sell. “'I was so overwhelmed.
It was a lovely gesture,” says Bev Rudkin said. The profits from the shop are used to raise funds for the development of a hospice in Wanaka. In recent months, more than $150 000 has been raised for the Upper Clutha Hospice Trust, which operates the Wanaka Hospice Shop.
While there is no word yet on whether or not a new hospice will be built, the organisation is certainly well on its way to earning enough money to make the project a reality. The new hospice would be built as part of the Aspiring Retirement Village, the first property of its kind in the lake district.
The retirement village will consist of beautifully-designed villas and a wide range of amenities, including a spa, gym, café and lounge. Adding a hospice to the village would certainly benefit the residents, and we hope that the Upper Clutha Hospice Trust will be able to raise enough money to build the property.
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