A new charity has delivered 2000 Santa sacks to children throughout Hawke's Bay.
The Craggy Range winery team assemble the toys. Photo: Craggy Range
A Children's Christmas Foundation was set up by Craggy Range winery, and with the help of other local businesses and Wharariki Trust, which has helped to distribute $180,000 worth of gifts.
The gifts include 1200 scooters, 350 skateboards, 200 trikes and hundreds of books and balls to some of the region's most deprived children.
Wharariki Trust board member Ana Apatu said nearly one-quarter of Hawke's Bay children live below the poverty line, so receiving good-quality gifts like sports equipment was appreciated.
"We're sometimes concerned that gifts are opened and probably end up in landfill the next day but what we're seeing is gifts that are based on play, they're good quality there's books, there's sports equipment... so we're really pleased that there's a whole bunch of things that we think the children enjoy with play and learning."