Bob Wedgwood of Rotorua

Bob is a hero for all the animals in the Rotorua area, driving the SPCA emergency ambulance every weekend from 5pm Friday night until 8am Monday morning, and even volunteering on Christmas Day, Easter and New Years. While on duty, Bob is available to drop everything to go to the aid of an animal, leaving many jobs half done and distributing many a night’s sleep! Many of the rescues involve him thinking fast on his feet for a quick solution – for example how do you get a hedgehog out of a drain pipe that is only 10cm in diameter? You use a tool that is designed to help you put socks on after a hip replacement of course! Bob not only spends 60 hours a week voluntary for the SPCA but he also looks for development opportunities, training as a Warranted Inspector, a year long course with UNITEC, a wonderful feat for a man in his 70s. Without Bob’s help the SPCA would not be able to offer the animal rescue service that it does, resulting in hundreds of saved animals and many more that have had improved lives.

Peggy Donaldson of Taupo

As a gifted pianist, Peggy has always used music as a way of helping others, from playing for ballet students to working with intellectually disabled through music therapy. Peggy was a part of the first Taupo Hospice volunteer group in the early 80s. Her work would include anything from making meals through to sitting up all night with a patient to give the family a break. Her dedication and passion for the group lead her to become the Principal Coordinator of volunteers in the 90s. In the current day, even at the age of 80, Peggy is looking after her community, acting as a support person to family, friends, animals and anyone she comes in contact with. Peggy is one of those special people who sees a need and endeavours to do what she can about it. She has a spent a life time, and is still contributing voluntarily in her own unique way to the Taupo area with an energy, dedication and policy of availability that she is well known for.

Walter de Bont of Taupo

Walter is the founder of Taupo’s Around the Lake cycle race, starting it in 1977 with 26 riders who were keen to be the first to cycle the whole circumference and to raise some money from Charity. The event was a great success raising $2000. The race has now developed to be one of the biggest cycle races in New Zealand, attracting over 11,000 competitors! Walter is also well known in his community for his weather recording and as the local “rubbish collector”. Walter started collecting weather data in 1962 and hasn’t missed a day since! He is a wealth of knowledge for historical trends as well as predicting when to hold events such as weddings. Following his retirement Walter started walking up to 21km a day collecting rubbish; he estimates he has collected 13 tons of litter over some 31,000km!