New Year’s Eve Hangi Planned

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 22

New Year’s Eve Hangi Planned

A hangi, sky-diving displays, water football, a beauty contest, a dance, and a bonfire will be included in entertainment at a “Hangihop” evening at Queen Elizabeth Park, New Brighton, on New Year’s Eve.

The evening, which is the first of its kind to be held in Christchurch is being organised by the South Christchurch Jaycees with the help of the other metropolitan Jaycees, to raise money for the Y.M.C.A. camp at Wainui. A past president of the South Christchurch Jaycees (Mr R. B. Newburgh) said yesterday that about 20,000 people were expected to attend and about £BOOO could be raised. Of this about £4500 would go towards the Y.M.C.A. camp and the rest towards other community services and organisations in Christchurch. The gates will open at 7.30 p.m. and at 8 p.m. two teams from Brighton surf clubs will compete in a game of water football with five hoses. The idea will be to squirt the ball over the opposition’s goal line. Also about 8 p.m. three members of the Canterbury Sky Diving Club will present a display of sky diving and parachuting. At the bang! 20 bullocks, 50 sheep, 20 pigs and four tons

of potatoes will be used to provide food for 5000 people. Christchurch butchers will assist with the preparation of the meat, and Maori cooks from Burnham Military Camp will help with the cooking. About 20 yards of stones for the hangi pit have been given by shingle pits. The first beauty queen for 1967 will be crowned at a beauty contest which will be held after the hangi. A bonfire will be lit at 11.45 p.m. and will be kept burning until after midnight. A continuous teen-age dance will be held in the open and it is hoped that there will also be a pipe band and some folk singing. Mr Newburgh said that the entertainment would be similar to that organised annually on New Year’s Eve at Caroline Bay, Timaru. If the evening was successful he hoped that it would be possible for it to be held each year.