by Dooley l Zeal Kāpiti Manager
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
The day after the tragedy in Christchurch, with events in Kāpiti and across the country shut down, young people began to stand up. I received a phone call from one of our volunteers asking if Zeal would host a vigil here in Kāpiti for young people. The answer of course was yes, and a couple of local young women began to put the event together.
With support from Zeal, local Police, the Community Patrols and the Kāpiti Coast District Council, the event was a great community partnership moment but also gave voice to young people and enabled them to create something special. With over 600 in attendance, the Vigil was a special event for the community, and something we at Zeal are proud to have been a part of.
Ella Kirby, a 17 year old from Paraparaumu College said: “The Vigil was an opportunity for Kāpiti to come together and show our support for Christchurch, unifying under love and not hate or discrimination. To be a part of supporting such a vision was an amazing opportunity to help create a space for people within Kāpiti to express themselves and show the beautiful power of community, coming together driven by a common cause.”
“Zeal was incredible in supporting this event to happen, generous in their time and resources, bringing the event’s vision to life. Helping to not only create the space, provide the atmosphere through sound, but also just being willing to help out wherever help was needed.”
