Massive Turn Out for Children’s Day 2023

Helensville Primary School’s Pasifica Dance Group

We were thrilled to see hundreds of happy smiles in Helensville at our recent Children’s Day Family Fun Day event. With over 445 children and 961 attendees, the day was dedicated to celebrating tamariki and fostering family togetherness.

This event came at a very important time for our community. After the devastation of the cyclone, many local events were cancelled, and we considered doing the same. However, the team at Kindred felt strongly that a fun filled and completely free day out for local families would be very positive for the wellbeing of tamarki, and it seems that in the end the timing was just right.

Huge thanks to Helensville Lions for providing free sausages.

The event offered various games and activities, free ice creams and sausages, and a host of performances and entertainment that made it a day to remember for local children. Positive feedback on the day was overwhelming, with at least one child overheard shouting, "This is the best day of my life!"

Arts and crafts with the teams at Parent Aid & South Kaipara Good Food.

We are hugely grateful for the hard work and collaboration of the many local groups who were involved. This event is much bigger than just Kindred, and over 17 local organisations were involved in running games and activities on the day. This makes Children’s Day an opportunity for local families to get to know many of the wonderful family services that operate in our area. Special thanks to volunteers Florence Te Ohaere, Jaylene Penetana-Fitzgerald and Michelle Rapana-Wharewaka who helped organise the event under some pretty tight time pressures. The event came together beautifully under their manaaki.

Sporting activities by Helensville Rugby Club, West Coast Rangers, Helensville Police and others.

Event sponsors, including Kaipara Medical Centre, Paper Plus Helensville, Helensville Lions, Ninja Kiwi, Generation Homes, and Christine & Joe Wood, helped to fund entertainment, kai, and ice-creams throughout the day. This ensured that everything, from sausages to pony rides, were completely free for all.

Local Minister Jacynthia did a wonderful job as MC

A big highlight was Helensville Primary School’s Kapa Haka and Pasifika groups. These performances drew huge crowds and rowdy applause from parents and spectators, and Helensville Primary School can be proud of their children’s passionate performances.  

Helensville Primary’s Kapa Haka performers in action.

Overall, the Children's Day Family Fun Day event was a huge success, bringing together the local community for a day of fun, laughter, and family togetherness.

If you would like to be more involved in the work we do supporting families & whānau in our local communities, become a Kindred Spirit. If we can get 100 locals to donate just $25 per month, we can raise $30,000 per year. This money will change lives.