Thursday, October 26, 2017
Ross McCullough
Opotiki’s “Rising Stars” will be recognised at a glitzy black-tie awards evening on Saturday.
At least 52 youth were nominated for this year’s awards across 10 categories, with up to three from each category to be highlighted at the awards evening.
This year’s theme is Our Voices Count, Hear Our Voices.
Whakaatu Whanaunga Trust, organisers of the Rising Stars Awards, are determined that youth who are standing up and being counted by achieving in numerous ways, will be recognised and celebrated among friends and whanau.
Originally, the awards were to be held on October 14, but due to nominations arriving late, the trust decided to delay the evening to allow enough time to prepare profiles on each of the finalists.
Nominees for the volunteer award include Joseph Ngametuangaro, who has turned his life around and has become a youth coach and mentor to Opotiki rangatahi. Most recently, he was nominated for the Kiwibank Local Hero Award, which recognises a person whose selflessness and determination has made a difference in the community.
Nominees for the group award include the Year 10 Opotiki College netball team, Opotiki College Cadet Unit, Waioweka School Robopa Robotics team, and Kura Ki Uta Kapa Haka.
The sports category will be tightly contested with nominees including Volcanix and wider Black Ferns squad member Luka Connor, Monica Falkner who was a few months ago named a Silver Fern, New Zealand Under 18-Maori representative Rewita Biddle, and others such as Ngarangi Stewart, Leah Howe, Grace Watson and Howard Maxwell.