Sunday, March 09, 2008
Good morning.
Welcome everyone and thank you for coming to KiwiFest.
This is the first time this event has been held and it promises to be a great occasion.
Today is about celebrating survivors of cancer, raising money to assist them and fund cancer research.
It is also a celebration of multicultural integration and harmony in our community.
I want to begin by acknowledging and paying tribute to guest speaker and Member of Parliament Luamanuvao Winnie Laban.
Winnie recently revealed she has breast cancer. But rather than keep it to herself and her family, she has gone public to encourage woman to have regular check-ups.
It’s an important message and one that I hope gets through to those who prefer not to talk about it because as Winnie herself says, cancer does not discriminate and anyone can get it.
I want to take this opportunity to wish Winnie well with her treatment and a full and speedy recovery. I look forward to hearing you speak soon.
Cancer is a terrible disease which at some point touches everyone, be it personally or through a friend or family member.
It’s something we probably would rather not think about, but we should not hide from it.
That’s why an event like this is such a great idea. We can fight back by showing our support for people who have had cancer or for those fighting it now and by raising money for cancer research…and the best part is being able to have fun at the same time.
Hutt City is home to people of many diverse cultures. It’s what makes our community vibrant and colourful, and makes us stronger.
I encourage everyone to experience and enjoy the music, dance, food, craft and culture of others who live alongside us.
Thank you to the performers and stall holders for being part of the day’s festivities.
I also want to thank Clarence Monteiro and James Liu of Profusion Events for creating a fantastic occasion.
It takes a lot of energy and commitment to organise a day like this, so thank you and may there be many more.
On that note, thank you again for coming, welcome and may today be an enjoyable time.
It now gives me great pleasure to declare KiwiFest open.