For more than 20 years, the Special Children’s Christmas Parties have given kids with special needs and their families the opportunity to celebrate the festive season in a way that is both accessible and fun for everyone involved.
The events feature a mix of amusement rides, an animal farm, activities, a stage show and, of course, the big man in the red suit delivering some presents.
Mainmark is a proud sponsor of these parties in New Zealand and was excited to have staff on hand as helpers at the Special Children’s Christmas Parties in both Auckland and Christchurch recently, receiving some wonderful feedback as a result.
The children who attend are aged from babies up to 12 years and may be suffering from life threatening illnesses, physical or intellectual impairments, domestic violence situations, or living in underprivileged circumstances. Mainmark staff were on hand to help out on the day and also provided Mainmark caps for attendees.
We were delighted to receive some very heartfelt feedback from one mother who attended the party in Christchurch. The youngest of Stephanie Emery’s three daughters, Amaria, has CDKL5, a rare genetic disorder experienced by just four other children in New Zealand. CDKL5 causes uncontrollable epilepsy, severe developmental delays, visual impairment and low muscle tone.
“I just wanted to thank you for sponsoring such an amazing event,” Stephanie wrote to Mainmark. “Having a special day out for our two big girls at the Christmas party was great and made up for all the things we miss out on doing because of Amaria’s disorder.”
“My children had a fabulous time and really love their Mainmark caps, which are getting a lot of wear on these sunny days!”
In 2017, there are 15 such Christmas Parties around Australia and 5 in New Zealand. All of them rely on the generosity of individual sponsor businesses. Thank you to all of our Mainmark team members in Christchurch and Auckland and of course party organisers who helped spread the joy to families at these special events. For a sense of the atmosphere and excitement on the day, watch the video on our YouTube channel.
By James O’Grady
James O’Grady is the Sales and Business Development Manager at Mainmark. He is a civil engineer with 25 years’ experience in structural engineering, construction materials and ground treatment.
