Battle of the BBQs!

A crowd of 250 people were treated to a night of gourmet BBQ at Applejackes Bar and Eatery, cooked by a host of local chefs, after the team at PlaceMakers Pakuranga came up with a hot way to put the fun back in to fundraising!

Branch events coordinator Aimee Toms says the event took months to plan, but the idea has been cooking for a while.

“We’ve always done the tradies breakfast in our yard, but the events were just getting too big for us – there were no car parks left!” she says.

“Our branch operator Rowan Toms has wanted to do something different for a couple of years, and we decided this year was the right time to do it.”

Together, Aimee and Rowan organised a night featuring two auctions – live and silent – with a number of prizes donated by members of the public, including a signed All Blacks jersey, a fishing charter, and a set of darts used by 2015 PDC World Champion Gary Anderson.

Tickets for the evening were $60 for a single or $100 for a double, with proceeds going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

While the final count is yet to be confirmed, Aimee says they’re on track to raise approximately $20,000. 

The three brand-new barbecues the chefs used were also on the auction list, and Aimee says they certainly delivered amazing results.

“It was really good! There was a slow-cooked brisket, lamb racks, chops, and some really nice salads.”

Freshly caught Clevedon Coast Oysters were also a feature on the menu, and proved to be a crowd pleaser.

Warriors commentator and MC Steve McIvor was joined by former Kiwi Monty Betham and The Fishing Show’s Geoff Thomas, all of whom encouraged male attendees to go out and get checked for prostate cancer.

Aimee says the night was a huge success and they’re looking forward to going even bigger next year.