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Peter Snell Backs the hub
 Dr. Peter Snell
A hub tee shirt autographed by Dr Snell during a recent visit to unveil a statue in Opunake, his boyhood home, is expected to attract strong interest at a celebrity fundraising auction to be held later this year.
Chair of the hub community fundraising group, Dave Bruce, said a second tee shirt signed by Dr Snell would be a key part of a collection of sporting memorabilia being collected for a planned sports hall of fame to be included in the hub complex at Hick's Park.
"When I explained our plans for the hub to Dr Snell, he was very supportive and offered to help the fundraising drive. As well as autographing the tee shirts, he has written a letter commending the project to potential donors. In the letter he says he hopes The Hub 'will encourage South Taranaki's young people to dare to dream and to believe in their potential to excel'."
"Dr Snell's letter will join others by people such as MPs Chester Borrows and Jill Pettis, and community sporting, business and health advocates as part of the 'toolkit' being assembled to support funding applications."
Mr Bruce said the hub fundraising teams were approaching large-scale donor organisations including TSB Community Trust, gaming trusts and the Lottery Trust Board, as well as district businesses large and small. "We're also getting great support from community and sporting groups who can see how the district will benefit from this important project. Any group who would like to discuss how they can help should contact Gerard Langford at South Taranaki District Council, phone 0800 111 323."
Dr. Snells Letter
"I was fortunate to spend the first nine years of what was to become a rather eventful life in South Taranaki, and it was a great pleasure to return to Opunake in May 2007 for a function at which the community there recognised my athletic achievements.
"It was a chance to meet many of the current generation of South Taranaki's young people and to see that their aspirations are not really very different to those of my generation. As a youngster I never dreamed that I would achieve success on the running track or in academia, but I have been fortunate to often be in the right place, at the right time, to be able to take advantage of opportunities that have come my way.
"I can see that the vision for The Hub as a district centre for sports, events and recreation is about providing opportunities for present and future generations of youngsters to participate and hopefully excel at their chosen field of endeavour, whether it's athletics, kapa haka, singing, dancing or any of the seemingly unlimited purposes envisaged.
"I congratulate those who have carried The Hub vision forward to this stage, and wish them well in turning it into a reality over the next few years. It can't come too soon for a district that is sorely in need of such a facility as a magnet to attract top class coaches and sporting competition to South Taranaki, while providing the district's youngsters with the environment they need to train, improve and meet their peers.
"Importantly, I hope The Hub will encourage South Taranaki's young people to dare to dream and to believe in their potential to excel."
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