May 2005

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

Tagata Niue Playland for the Children of Niue Opens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Government of Niue, represented by Acting Premier Fisa Pihigia, was pleased to officially open the newly completed Playland, a generous gift from the Auckland based Tagata Niue Group and its major sponsor NIUFM. “This is another taoga that I am sure our children will be happy to have. I thank you on behalf of Premier Vivian who has been supportive of this project from the beginning and who was involved with Prime Minister Helen Clark last September in a corporate dinner organized by Tagata Niue Group in Auckland to raise funds for this Playland.”  

 

It is a children’s play ground on a prime real estate with a million dollar view of the Pacific Ocean, built to entertain three generations of local children, and even longer if looked after properly, the Playland that was opened on Friday afternoon represented many things to different people from the tiny tots to the tupuna of Niue.

 

For the children it will give hours of climbing, swinging, exploring and probably nursing a few bumps for the more adventurous; the young parents and grandparents will use the facilities to baby-sit and watch their little ones grow up and bringing back the laughter and joy to an area that had experienced the horrors of a grade five cyclone. For the extended families of Cathy and Daniel Alec who perished in the cyclone it is a memorial worthy of the gift of the Tagata Niue Group who gave up their time to fund raise and for John Kumitau, Liline Hewett and Simon Aleki, who have been here for two weeks to build the playground. For NIUFM whose enormous donation made it possible for Playland to happen, and for many others, too numerous to mention by name, who contributed generously to the realization to the Project all added to and mean much to the future generations of our nation.

Text Box: Fine Alec cuts the ribbon to open the play ground apparatus. There is one thing for certain whatever the size or the purpose of a project its opening will always be treated with equal respect and thankfulness by us who will be the eventual beneficiaries. While the ceremony was in progress there children by the dozens all waited impatiently to taste the delights of the facilities that were waiting just out of their reach until the official word was given.

“Sheer delight” would be only words to describe the hundred or so children who were the first to test-drive the climbing, sliding, swinging, see-sawing and hanging apparatus. “Amazing,” said one very attentive parent. “Every village should have one of these to get my lot out from in front of the TV screen and into the fresh air every day.”

 

The Memorial, dedicated to Cathy and Daniel Alec who died tragically as a result of Cyclone Heta on January 5th 2004, was a gift from the Tagata Niue Group and NIUFM Radio station in Auckland.

 

Rodney and Fineiki Alec, the parents and grandparents of the perished cyclone victims, were both  tearful but very grateful for the memorial Playland facilities. “Thank you John Kumitau and your Tagata Niue Group, to NIUFM, to the Government of Niue, the New Zealand High Commission and all the sponsors, donors and helpers who have put together this Memorial in our children’s name. May God bless you all for your generosity.”