Rotary's Eastern Bay of Plenty Spud Night.

 
“Spud Night” is an initiative of the Whakatane Rotary Club.
 
Each Spring they visit the five Rotary Clubs in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and sell them plastic buckets that come complete with potting mix and one seed potato --- all for $10 each.
 
Then it is all on as they are grown at homes around the Bay with a varying amount of secret recipes of fertiliser and an equally varying amount of success. One year they even went the extra distance and sold growers little packets of “Mint infused Fertiliser” for $3 as well.
 
Then on the first Tuesday in December, everyone gathers for a barbecue and the big weigh-in, and an  auction and raffles.
 
All the potatoes grown are then divided among about 6 buckets and auctioned off.
 
Over the years, large amounts of money have been raised and donated to the EBOP Hospice Service, St Johns, Alzheimers, the Fire Brigade for Defibrillators and the Whakatane Rowing Club to mention a few.
 
Tuesday 6th December, a large, happy crowd of EBOP Rotarians and friends gathered at Leanne and Maurice Butler’s home on Paul Road to compare spud stories, have a drink and to share in a delicious barbecued dinner.   Leanne and Maurice have  hosted this event for 20 years now.
Here the buckets are emptied, the contents sieved, and spuds discovered, counted and weighed.
Usually there is also a competition for a piece of art connected with Spuds --- this year it was a hat.
 
Welcomed by Mary Bridget Gordon, President of Whakatane Club, and the MC Janie Storey.
 
 
 
Leanne and Maurice Butler
 
Thankyous were expressed to Farmlands for the Spuds
and Highway Tyres for the potting mix and John … for the buckets.
And a big thankyou was given to Maurice and Leanne Butler for hosting 20 years of Spud Nights.
 
Raffles were large and varied with baskets from New World and other items --- with about 10 .
 
Auction as always was capably and humorously conducted by Ron Johnson from the Opotiki Club. 
Six buckets of freshly harvested new potatoes were auctioned off as well as two large portions of freshly cooked mutton.
 
Winners---
  •         Most spuds in a bucket was 23 --- Ian D
  •         Heaviest spud --- 120g --- Michelle van B
  •         Prettiest bucket of spuds ---- Margaret
  •         Worst buckets of spuds --- Finn, Steve and Carol --- they were all given fertiliser to help with their spuds for next year J
  •         Most pathetic spuds were Barney and Brent who had so much fun with their prizes of a mini vibrating spud bag eachJ
  •         Trophy for the grand winner went to Jo Harris
  •         Spud hat --- Yvonne
Best Hat
 
 
Many thanks to Margaret Brierley  for the story...