23/04/2026
I AM HOPE Fund raiser Raffle.
The North Island English Masonic District celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. It chose as its charity the I AM HOPE campaign for mental health. English Masonic Lodges throughout the North Island worked on several projects to raise money to be able to present to the charity in May. The projects were varied from garage sales to raffles, from personal donations to Lodges working together to raise money for awareness of the mental health issues both affecting young and old in New Zealand.
The Rodney Lodge No. 1711 in Warkworth who, I might add, will also celebrate their 150th anniversary next year. Apart from personal donations, one of their members built a pedal plane to raffle. The cost of material was borne by the Rodney Lodge to the tune of nearly $600.00. The number of hours to construct was estimated to be in the region of 1000 hours. The build was completed at the Hibiscus Men’s Shed in Silverdale with some help by members of the Men’s Shed. There were only two hundred tickets at $10.00 a ticket. Several family members of the constructor bought tickets and said if they won then just redraw the prize.
The raffle raised $2010.00 the $10.00 extra was a straight donation by a passerby that refused to take a ticket and said it would be a donation to a worthy cause.
On the day, when the raffle was drawn it was done at the Men’s Shed by a Trustee, and the winning ticket was drawn by one of the members. The entire process was videoed by both the constructor and another member of the shed. A name was read out, and the constructor was amazed to see that it was his son who lives in Australia. As he is 52 years old, he had said to redraw it, should he win, it was redrawn. Brendon Johnson, owner of Grown-up Doughnuts on the Hibiscus Coast, has won the pedal plane.
