Gala Day

Our local primary school has one major fundraiser each year - The Gala. It involves enormous amounts of work and the result is far more than just funds for new equipment for the school. The result is community. Tonight I rang someone called Margaret, a saint wearing ordinary women's clothing, who is coordinating this year's gala. I offered to make a pork dish for the lunch and bring it down in my crock pot. Margaret accepted with enthusiasm. Other people will be making nachos, chicken or beef dishes also in crock pots and white bait sandwiches. That's just the lunch part. The baking room (yes room, not just table) will be full of home made sweet concoctions and will sell out within twenty minutes. I never buy from the baking room as I haven't the stamina for the crowds, but I'm in the (female) minority.

Lots of other activities take place, many for fund raising and quite a few performances from the school students. I come close to crying watching these and that's in years before I had my own child performing. This year we are paid up schoolie parents and The Gala is such a big deal that the South Island grandparents are driving over for the day.