Christchurch high school dragon boating team head to world champs with $30,000 Jetstar Flying Start grant
Monday 22 February 2016, 3:58PM
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Today (22 February) Jetstar proudly announced Avonside Girls High School Dragon Boating Team as the latest recipient of a $30,000 Jetstar Flying Start grant.
The Jetstar Flying Start grant, made up of $15,000 of Jetstar flights and $15,000 cash, will help to take the team to Adelaide to compete in the 2016 Club Crew World Dragon Boating Championships.
The high school team is based in the eastern Christchurch suburb which was badly affected by the earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. The suburb is still in the Red Zone and is deemed too badly damaged to rebuild on.
Many members of the team were displaced, living in temporary accommodation. Avonside Girls High School was so damaged that it was moved to site share with another school, but is now back on school grounds in temporary classrooms.
Jetstar Head of New Zealand, Grant Kerr, said, “It’s rewarding to be able to support a dedicated sporting group that has been through so much. We’re thrilled the Jetstar Flying Start grant will help to take the Avonside Girls High School Dragon Boating Team to the next level, representing New Zealand on the world stage and boosting morale in their community”.
Coach, Evan Roper, added, “Thanks to Jetstar’s Flying Start grant, our 26 girl team will be competing at the World Champs, doing their school proud and inspiring a community that has been suffering for quite some time. The girls have been fundraising any way they can, but, because our community has been so hard-hit money has been hard to come by, so the grant is a very welcome boost.”
The Jetstar Flying Start Programme invites community groups and organisations to apply for a grant of $30,000 to be used to fund a project that will enrich the lives of people in their local community. The entries are reviewed by a panel of judges, who select a deserving community group each quarter.
Applications for the next grant close at 5.00pm on 31 March 2016. Any New Zealand based not-for-profit community group or organisation in need of a Flying Start is encouraged to apply. Full application details and conditions can be found at www.jetstar.com.