A Taupō teenager's decision to take up mask-making as a fundraiser for his budding golf career may have helped save the life of his grandmother.
Wilson Simmonds, right, is helped by his whānau. Photo: Supplied / Jay Jay Simmonds
Two weeks ago 15-year-old Wilson Simmonds borrowed one of his mum's sewing machines and began to learn how to make a face mask.
Wilson is among the top under-16 junior golfers in New Zealand and has been working hard to buy new gear for a tournament in December.
Among those helping out was Wilson's grandmother, Nan, who has been a driving force in his sport, spending hundreds of hours with him at driving ranges and golf courses.
"Me and my nan would go to a little nine-hole course every Sunday to play. So we would practise during the week and then go play on Sunday, then I eventually joined at the Taupō Golf course.
"As I started getting better I started playing more."
He received hundreds of orders in just the first week, so his whānau decided to hold an overnight sewing bee to help him complete them in time.
"This past couple of weeks have been pretty crazy with the amount of orders we've been getting. We've just been looking at the new equipment that I need that we can now pay for," Wilson told First Up.
Kia Aroha College principal Haley Milne ordered 150 masks from Wilson as part of her bid to supply masks from local businesses to all the school's students.
"We just thought what a cool way for us to get what we need but at the same time support an awesome young Māori person doing some really cool things."
But the night the sewing bee was held, Nan's house next door burnt down. The cause of the fire isn't known but some in the local community believe Nan might not be alive today if she had been home at the time of the fire instead of next door helping out with the sewing bee.
Some of the damage inside Nan's house. Photo: Supplied / Jay Jay Simmonds
Milne was shocked by the impact of her order. "What a terrible thing - I guess I'm thankful then for us to put such a crazy order in if that's inadvertently kept her safe as well. But I'm so thankful she was with them."
She hopes the community will continue to support the mask-making venture. "Our aroha goes out to the family."
The whānau are recovering from the shock of the fire but are still working hard to complete orders.
Photo: RNZ / Jay Jay Simmonds
Wilson said he's thankful Nan was safe with them when the fire broke out, even though she has now lost everything.
His dad, Jay Jay Simmonds, said Wilson wouldn't have the drive today without her.
Jay Jay said he and his wife are proud of Wilson who has worked very hard to improve his game which requires a lot of dedication and money.
"It is one of those sports where if you want to be good at it, you've got to have the funds or the ability of your parents to be able to pay for it. If not, there's certainly a lot of kids who fall by the wayside - which we see all the time - who can't afford to go to these tournaments and play competitive enough and go overseas and so on."
He said Wilson setting up his fundraiser helps him realise where the money comes from to support him in the sport.
Wilson who hopes to join the PGA Tour when he's older is already moving up the golf rankings - as a 14 year old he was ranked No 1 in the Bay of Plenty Under-16 regional tournament. Mask-making is fitted in around another part-time job at his golf club as well as senior exams.
Former coach Renee Fowler believes he has the talent and attitude to go a long way. "The further you go in this game the harder you've got to work and that's one thing Wilson definitely doesn't shy away from. He's determined, he's very focused and has that ability to work quite hard."
