MEDIA RELEASE | 29 August 2016
Guests Flock to ‘Wild Food Feast’ Fundraiser
On Saturday night, the hall at Camp Rangi Woods in the Pohangina Valley was transformed into a pioneer farm setting as
the Awahou School Wild Food Feast fundraiser got underway for its sixth year running.
One hundred and thirty feast-goers were rounded up by ‘Baa-maids’ (decked out in shearing-themed attire) and drenched
with their favourite tipple whilst being fed-out on wild venison, pork, goat and pheasant from the ‘Baa-be-que’ (kindly
supplied by the Black Alice Spit Roasters of Ashhurst and cooked inside a marquee supplied by Rural Fuel).
Guest star Billy Black the Woolman provided the after-dinner ‘sheep thrills’ that included lessons for the audience in gumboot tap dancing, woodcutting,
hand-cranked sheep shearing, sheep whispering and some light-hearted woolly fun. He put his body on the line in his
grand finale, with an audience member setting him on fire to demonstrate New Zealand wool’s fire-resistant properties.
“It was pretty incredible to watch” said Awahou School Principal and MC for the night, Matt Schmidt. “Set at something
like 450 degrees, the torch flame just bounced off his Manawatu Knitting Mills woollen shirt, smoking a little and
bringing him out in a sweat - but clearly showing us wool doesn’t burn.” In contrast, the synthetic fibre polar fleece
he torched (similar to what many in the audience were wearing) melted as soon as the flame touched it.
Kim Marcus, parent and event co-ordinator who ‘maaa-sterminded’ the evening, was blown away by the level of support
extended to the School by the business community in Ashhurst-Pohangina, Palmerston North and Feilding. “Our flock of
supporters really do us proud each year, gifting some amazing items for the fundraising auction that forms part of the
night.” Everything from truckloads of donated shingle through to guided hunting trips, farm-support software and signed
All Black Sevens and Turbos shirts went under the hammer. “We’d like to thank every single one of them for the part they
played in the night”, said Kim.
Final tallies for the funds raised from the event are yet to be confirmed, but as tickets sold out ‘in two shakes of a
lamb's tail’ the Friends of Awahou organising team and staff are hoping for a great result. All funds raised will go
towards funding additional teaching hours and education resources at the 38-student Awahou School.
ENDS
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Event website/facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/The-Wild-Food-Feast-125187704481938/
View this for photos and video of the night and details of our sponsors and supporters.
For further information about Billy Black the Woolman and his travelling show visit http://www.billyblack.co.nz