TVNZ's Telethons

The North Shore Amateur Organ Club (as it was known in the early days i.e. minus the Keyboard bit) was active in the Community both in terms of playing concerts at various venues to build Club funds but also for worthwhile charitable causes. One of these charitable events that the Club was involved with on two occasions was the now almost forgotten TVNZ's Telethons that used to last for a full 24 hours on a Saturday/Sunday once a year. These Telethon's raised hundreds of millions of dollars for charitable causes. The Club is proud to have contributed to such events.

The Club participated in the 1982 Telethon and as can be seen from the Newspaper clipping below this lasted for 28 hours at Shore City Shopping Mall and with a roster of members keeping the 'orgathon' going without stop! I understand such current members as: Molly Scott; Laurel Jonkers; Ngaire Lonergan; and Doug Farr were active in getting the organ shipped around the North Shore for outplaying events such as the Telethons. The newspaper clipping shows our then Club President Len Bough (deceased) sat at a Baldwin organ which presumably was the one used for the Orgathon. The writer is not sure whether this was the Club's organ at the time or borrowed.

Please let the current President or Secretary know if you have some anecdotes from the past that involve the Club and you would like to share for posterity.

A big thank you to Club Member, Ngaire Lonergan, for digging-up this clipping for the Club. Also, a big thank you to our former Secretary in the 1990's, Irene Darby, for providing some recollections of the Telethon's that our Club participated in in the 1980's. Irene is alive and well and living in Sunnynook, North Shore where I had the pleasure of catching-up with her at the Sunnynook Ladies Probus meeting in February 2009. The writer, male, just happened to be invited by the guest artist of the day, our very own Peter Brophy, who played his Korg keyboard and gave his recollections of his band days in Timaru area back in the early 1950's.

 

The following photos were kindly provided by Ngaire Lonergan of the Club's 1981 charitable fund raising Telethon - looks like there was a lot of fun involved!

                           

Jean Slater dressed-up to kill as she collects for the 1981 Telethon

Ngaire Lonergan at the Club organ with her Tennis Club friends getting into the spirit of the 1981 Telethon

More supporters of the 1981 Telethon having lots of fun.