Carterton Mayor Donates Signed Fender to Carterton Indoor Pool Project

Mayor of Carterton and former Member of Parliament, Ron Mark, and his partner Christine Tracey, have donated a Lake Placid Blue Squire by Fender Affinity Series Telecaster to help raise funds for the CARTERTON INDOOR POOL PROJECT.

Signed by award winning kiwi Country Music singer, composer and guitarist GRAY BARTLETT, the brand-new guitar will be auctioned on TRADE ME from Sunday 9 June to Tuesday 18 June.

The rest of his band - Dennis Marsh, Brendan Dugan, and Frankie Stevens will complete the signing at the NZ HIGHWAYMEN gig at the CARTERTON EVENTS CENTRE at 2:30pm on Sunday, 9 June, as part of their nationwide tour. Stevens has recently stepped in for his friend Eddie Low, who had to withdraw from the line up because of health concerns.

Mark and Tracey have been firm supporters of the last remaining indoor pool owned by a swimming club in New Zealand. “The Carterton Indoor Pool is a valuable community asset, but small councils like Carterton are facing increasing cost pressures which puts immense pressure on what they can realistically fund with rate payers’ money,” said Mark.

“My partner Christine and I are keen to show our personal support as we both wish to keep this asset available to the community. We know how important it is for our tamariki and rangitahi to learn to swim and to develop resilience, and it is also how essential it is for our older generation to stay active, mobile and socially connected, which they can do through the use of a warm, all-year-round pool.”

Carterton Indoor Pool Project Chair Anna Beetham is delighted with the donation of the signed guitar. “We’re absolutely stoked with this generous donation and for the support Ron and Christine have shown for the Indoor Pool Project. We encourage everyone to get behind this auction.

“The 38-year-old pool building desperately needs replacing and our community is in real danger of losing it. It’s the only public indoor pool in the Southern Wairarapa and it’s in need of an urgent upgrade so the community can continue to use it all year round,” said Beetham.

To take part in the charity auction go to: https://www.trademe.co.nz from June 9.

Tickets to attend the NZ Highwaymen gig in Carterton can be purchased through the Carterton Events Centre at https://www.cartertonec.co.nz/nz-highwaymen-sunday-9-june-230pm/.

For more information on the Carterton Indoor Pool project visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/cartertonindoorpoolproject/