AIMS Games athletes tackle Mount beach clean-up

Thursday, 8 September 2022

Left to right: Archie Beale, Quin Cramond, Oliver Williams, Harrison Banks and Daniel Bell from Mount Maunganui Intermediate School.

Teams of athletes gathered at Mount Maunganui this week to take part in the inaugural Zespri AIMS Games Gives Back beach clean-up.

Wednesday’s clean-up was designed to encourage athletes to ‘give back’ to their host city and encourage kaitiakitanga – the protection and guardianship of the environment.

In total, 85 athletes and their supporters were split into groups that swept Pilot Bay, Mount Maunganui Main Beach, Moturiki and Hopukiore for rubbish and recycling.

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Lulu Wrightson-Lyons from Pasadena Intermediate School, getting signed into the event.

Bottle tops, cans and glass bottles were the most found items, and a total of 35.9 kgs of waste was collected, with 47 per cent being recyclable and 53 per cent destined for landfill.

Whangārei was well represented at the event, with teams from Parua Bay School, Huanui College and Kamo Intermediate School all taking part.

Venues and Events Manager at Tauranga City Council, Nelita Byrne.

Other visiting athletes hailed from Pasadena Intermediate School, Auckland, Taupō Intermediate and St Andrew’s College, Christchurch.

Pasadena Intermediate School principal, Johnathan Hughes, said he was thrilled his team could take part in the clean-up.

“We’re here because we think it’s good for the kids to know we need to care for our environment and give back to the local community,” he said.

Tauranga City Council’s events team had planned the initiative two years ago, with the original clean-up scheduled to launch in 2020 before the games were called off due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

Tianna Macdonald and Rachael Duffert from Bethlehem College Girl’s Hockey Team.

Venues and events manager Nelita Byrne said her team were passionate about showcasing – and increasing – the positive impact events had on the local community.

In 2019 alone, the games brought $6.2 million to the local Tauranga economy, but Byrne said the team wanted to do something for the environment too.

“More so than ever, we know it’s about balancing the planet and profit,” she said.

“We have amazing people at council, like our Pollution Prevention team, doing this mahi in the local community. We’re lucky we could use their knowledge to deliver this initiative for our visitors.”

But it wasn’t just visitors who signed-up for the beach clean, with teams from Mount Maunganui Intermediate School and Bethlehem College pitching in too.

Tianna Macdonald, a hockey player from Bethlehem College, was keen to spread the word about the importance of keeping Tauranga’s beaches clean.

“Beach clean-ups are important to save sea life,” said the 13-year-old. “They make it a friendly place for everyone to come and enjoy.”

When asked what she would say to visitors to Tauranga, she said: “Have fun, go for a swim, swim between the flags and enjoy the beach – but make sure you pick up your litter.”

Tournament director at Zespri AIMS Games, Kelly Schischka, said the event was a success and hoped to develop the initiative further in the years to come.

“You could see it on everyone’s faces – they were having a great time while doing something good for the community,” said Schischka. “It was a win for everyone.”