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06/05/2010	CROMWELL AND DISTRICTS PROMOTION GROUP REIGNS SUPREME
The Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group have won the Supreme Award at the TrustPower Central Otago District Community Awards.
The Awards were announced and presented on Monday 3 May at a function at the Orchard Gardens in Alexandra. For winning the Supreme Award, the Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group received a framed certificate, a trophy and $1,500 prize money. The Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group now has the opportunity to represent the district at the 2010 TrustPower National Community Awards, which are being held in the Western Bay and Tauranga districts in March 2011. The Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group will also be filmed by a TVNZ6 crew to feature in a new series called ‘Volunteer Power’. TVNZ 6 has partnered with the TrustPower Community Awards in 2010 to bring remarkable stories of volunteers all over the country. Regional Winners at each TrustPower Community Awards throughout New Zealand will be filmed by the TVNZ6 crew and shown on TVNZ6. Volunteer Power, presented by Julia Wright and Jim Mora will tell the stories of visionary and award-winning projects operating in kiwi communities for the proven benefit of kiwi communities - fuelled by the boundless energy of community volunteers The Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group also won a six month subscription to Fundraising in New Zealand magazine, New Zealand's only monthly publication dedicated to all things fundraising. In total, TrustPower has given away $4,250 in cash and $300 in power vouchers to various community groups through the Awards. TrustPower Community Relations Representative Melanie Tavendale says the Cromwell and Districts Promotion Group and their dedicated group of volunteers, “Team Cromwell”, have been organising the Cromwell Summer Series for the past nineteen years. The team is made up of various members of the Promotion Group, their friends, and other sport-loving people. They organise the annual Cromwell Half Marathon, the Pub to Pub Bannockburn Gutbuster, the Bannockburn MTB Classic, the Lake Dunstan Triathlon/Duathlon, the Lake Dunstan Cycle Challenge and the Carricktown Crusher MTB. “Each event in the Summer Series requires a huge voluntary effort, but this group is not one to shy away from a challenge,” said Mrs Tavendale. “This year the series bought more than 1,500 athletes and their supporters together from all over the South Island. These events are run in a professional way, and are the perfect way to showcase the beautiful Cromwell area to the rest of the country. “Without volunteers these events would not happen, and the district would miss out in what has become an important feature of New Zealand’s adventure sporting calendar,” she said. The competition for this year’s TrustPower Central Otago District Community Awards was tough with 26 groups nominated for the Awards. Other winners at the TrustPower Central Otago District Community Awards were: Heritage and Environment Winner: Central Otago Ecological Trust Health and Well Being Winner: Omakau Volunteer Fire Brigade First Response Unit Runner-Up: Salvation Army Community Garden Commendation: Cromwell Community Welfare Trust Arts and Culture Commendation: Burn 729 am Sport and Leisure Winner: Promote Dunstan Runner-Up: Waipiata Country Ute Muster Commendation: Special Olympics NZ Central Otago Educational and Child/Youth Development Winner: Central Otago Victim Support Runner-Up: Rotary Club of Alexandra Inc. For more information or for photos of the winners please contact: Melanie Tavendale Community Relations Representative Ph: 03 433 0054 Email: melanie.tavendale@trustpower.co.nz For more information about Fundraising in New Zealand magazine go to www.foresee.co.nz . For more information on the TrustPower Community Awards please visit www.trustpower.co.nz/communityawards. TVNZ 6 is available on Freeview/TiVo channel 6 and on SKY/Telstra channel 16.