In June 2025, Franklin Young Farmers club held a quiz fundraiser at one of their local halls with 50% of proceeds going towards the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Foundation, the local Lions club and the Aka Aka hall (where the event was held). Over 300 people came along for the quiz night, showing how amazing the support can be for communities such as this one.
"Our members are still fizzing after the very successful quiz night, which would not have been possible without the time and dedication put in by our club members" says Marie Taylor, chair of the organizing committee and member of the Franklin club.
Thanks to the amazing sponsors, quiz attendees and the wider Franklin community, they were able to donate a whopping $20,000 to the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Foundation, with additional donations going to Waiuku Lions, the Aka Aka Hall and to assist club members who went to Invercargill to support Justin at the Young Farmer of the Year Grand and also compete in the NZYF Tournament Final.
The local Lions club were also in need of a new fryer and this donation has gone towards assisting them in getting a new one. The donation to the Aka Aka Hall has gone towards a carpark upgrade, as it is a well used facility in the area.
"There were sponsors for full tables, individuals raising their hands to place a bid, raffles flying around, needless to say there were a large number of winners in amongst the 300+ people we had attending" says Marie.
This was a true representation of how connected the rural community is and it is appreciated with the amount of support that was received.
If you are based in the Franklin area, make sure you check out more about what the club is up to by visiting their Facebook or Instagram page.