HAVELOCK SCHOOL FUNDRAISER SHIFTS 400 ROLLS OF WRAPPING PAPER NOBODY WILL EVER USE
The design is reindeer on a bicycle. It is May. The paper is non-refundable.
Havelock School's PTA has offloaded 400 rolls of Christmas wrapping paper to parents who already own wrapping paper. The drive raised $312 and a fair bit of quiet resentment.
The paper shows reindeer riding bicycles on a mint-green background. Each roll cost $8. The fine print says "approximately 3 metres, possibly less."
Kirsten Rowe, a Year 4 mum, bought four rolls because the form went round at pickup. "You can't be the one who doesn't." She now has eleven rolls at home. "Seven were in the hallway cupboard from the 2022 drive. One's from before Ruby was born."
Deano Whitmarsh tried to palm a roll onto his mother-in-law in Renwick. She handed it back. "Said she already had the reindeer one. Same catalogue, different school. It's the same bloody paper going round Marlborough in a circle."
PTA treasurer Melanie Cousins said the money would go towards "shade sails or possibly a pizza oven." Asked why the school didn't just ask parents for $8, Cousins said that "wouldn't feel like a fundraiser."
The next drive is chocolate almonds. Kirsten has already bought six boxes in her head.
More yarns from Havelock School Gate
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Reader Letters
★ Trev_Hornby
What a bloody piss-take!
★ Margaret_F
In our day, we'd have simply taught kids to be resourceful by reusing and not wasting, like my Gerald always said. Fundraisers were more sensible then.
JoannePetone
Mate, that's not what they said. The money is meant for shade sails, which we do need!
★ BarryBishopdale
Back in my day, schools didn’t rely on these absurd wraparounds. It's the council's fault, letting these things happen!
★ Garry (Halswell)
This wouldn’t have happened in sunny Aussie. No point blaming the council.
MumOf3_Riccarton
Honestly, fundraising fatigue is real. Every week it’s something new. Bring back the sausage sizzles, I say!
ropeable_dave
Yeah, but sausage sizzles aren't exactly sophisticated, right? The kids deserve better!
tired_in_riccarton
Does anyone else remember when we actually wrapped gifts with newspaper and nobody cared? Those were the days.
couchgremlin
Lol.
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