On 17th Oct Coastguard Sumner gathered for the AGM and Awards event. It was an opportunity to reflect on our achievements and say thank you to our volunteers who give up their time to save lives on the water.
We are proud to share this year’s service and special award recipients:
Coastguard Service Awards
• 3 Years: Doug Walsh, Emily Quane, Lewis Elliott
• 10 Years: Bjorn Stankowitz
• 15 Years: Dave Passmore
• 35 Years: Heather McDonald
• 15 Years (Board Member): Nick Carter
Coastguard Sumner Special Awards
• Rescue Capability Award: Daniel Manchester
• Technology Innovation Award: Jeff Turner
• Unsung Hero Award: Howard Nicholls
Congratulations to all the recipients. A special shout-out to Heather McDonald, her 35 years of service is longer than all the other service milestones combined. She is on track to exceed the 40 years service her father Peter McDonald gave to Sumner Lifeboat!
And to all our crew and their families, we thank you for all that you do.
Our life-saving mission relies entirely on teamwork and generosity. Many thanks to our major supporters: Coastguard Tautiaki Moana, Urquhart Trust, HamiltonJet Global and our First XI donors.
Carolyn Tapley, Coastguard New Zealand board member, did a super job of presenting the awards. We also thank Antony Tomkins of HamiltonJet Global and local councillor Nathaniel Herz Jardine for taking the time to join us at our Awards event.
Finally, thanks to Sumner Bowling Club for hosting us, it’s an excellent local venue for our community.