Nine Rotary Clubs Unite to Raise $15,000 for Grace Street Project

Nine Southland Rotary clubs have joined forces for the first time to raise $15,000 for The Grace Street Project through their support of the PlaceMakers Southern Scooter Challenge.

The donation was presented to the project on Friday, along with an offer to bring Rotary's Youth Development programme to Southland once the facility opens.

The fundraising effort involved considerable volunteer work across the region, including gathering raffle prizes, organising sales, sourcing auction items, running the Te Anau after party and auction, providing marshalling support along the route, and rescuing broken-down scooters.

All nine participating clubs were from Rotary District 9999: Rotary Club of Fiordland, Rotary Invercargill South, Rotary Club of Invercargill, Rotary Club of Invercargill Sunrise, Gore Rotary Club, Winton Rotary, Invercargill North Rotary Club, Rotary EAST Invercargill and The Rotary Club of Aparima.

The Grace Street Project organisers expressed gratitude for the community support. "To every member of all nine clubs, thank you," they said. "And to everyone who donated a prize or bought a ticket, you've put another block in place."

The project team acknowledged the collaborative nature of their fundraising efforts, stating: "It takes a village. We've never felt that more than we do right now."

The PlaceMakers Southern Scooter Challenge is an annual charity event that sees participants ride scooters across Southland to raise money for local causes.

This marks the first time the region's Rotary clubs have combined their efforts for a single fundraising initiative, demonstrating the strong community support for The Grace Street Project.

People interested in supporting the project can contribute through purchasing commemorative plaques, organising their own fundraising events, or making direct donations. More information is available at thegracestreetproject.nz.