Community spirit

From supporting school galas to sponsoring the annual Ironkidz triathlon, PlaceMakers Taupo branch operator Chris Bell has made investing in the community a priority since stepping into the role more than three years ago

“I’ve come from bigger cities, such as Auckland and Wellington, and one thing I’ve come to love about living in a smaller town is the sense of community,” says Chris. “We give back in various ways throughout the year; it’s little stuff here and there, but it ends up going a long way.”

One of the most recent examples of Chris and his team getting behind the community was their involvement with the Ironkidz event in March.

“Two weeks out from the Ironman event, they run a shortened race for kids and we’ve been one of the major sponsors for the past two years.

“Not only are we a sponsor, we close the branch for the day and my staff and I volunteer at the event. It’s good exposure for us and also just a fun day out for everyone. It’s something I plan to continue supporting every year.”

Another big event in Taupo that Chris and his team of 20 staff get behind every year is the local foodbank’s annual collection ahead of the Christmas holidays.

“The whole town gets involved. You get given a designated area to work in and basically go door-to-door collecting cans and non-perishables. It’s heavily advertised, so residents are always prepared,” he says.

“Last year we sent out two of our PlaceMakers utes and managed to fill them both to the brim. My staff are only too happy to help, which is awesome.

“We do it all outside of work, so they are giving up their own time to help out and I really appreciate that. We were also joined by some of our customers from Wades Construction, which was great.”

Champions in the making

This year’s Ironkidz event attracted approximately 2,000 people from across New Zealand, with competitors completing up to 300 metres of swimming, 12 kilometres of biking and three kilometres of running depending on their age.

Local lad Alex Brackenbury was this year’s overall winner, completing the race in 32:12.1, while Hamilton’s Caoilinn Gray was the fastest finishing female, recording a time of 37:25.5.

PlaceMakers Taupo branch operator Chris Bell says that he and his staff enjoy getting behind the annual Ironkidz triathlon