Youth trust's comeback trail
The coming 30th anniversary of legendary Queenstowner Bruce Grant's death has galvanised a trust set up in his name to lift its support for local youth.
An Olympic skier, mountaineer and extreme adventurer, Bruce perished, aged 31, while descending K2, in Pakistan, during a violent storm on August 13, 1995.
Ali Beaumont, who knew him through a friend, had the year prior organised a 'locals ball' due to so many locals missing out on tickets to the Winter Festival ball, with corporate sponsors snapping them up.
After Bruce's sudden death, she decided the next ball, at the Millennium Hotel, should go into a trust set up in his name — ''it seemed like the perfect thing to do''.
As did having it support, as its website states, ''the efforts of other young people who show a similar passion for life, adventure and the desire to succeed''.
''Arts and culture was my great passion, and when we moved to Queenstown, [daughter] Amanda was very involved in drama, but there was no opportunity here — anyone that really wanted to progress would have to travel to compete to get better.''
Early recipients included Ben Farry, who would graduate from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, mountain biker Scarlett Hagen and skiers Nigel Gardiner, Angus Rose and PeteSanford.
''It wasn't just they got a bit of money, but it was encouraging for them that somebody believed in them.''
Beaumont organised several balls at Walter Peak, supported by many sponsors, including Real Journeys initially not charging the use of the Earnslaw for transport.
In 2000 she told Mountain Scene the best-dressed woman would be chosen by fashion designer Trelise Cooper, but men wouldn't get a prize as ''they always wear the same thing''.
Current trust chair Craig 'Ferg' Ferguson also came onboard early.
He'd often interview Bruce on his radio show and recalls kayaking from Frankton Beach to Queenstown Bay in the K2 Expedition Charity Relay as a fundraiser for Bruce and Kim Logan's K2 attempt.
Only problem, he kayaked with Coast to Coast legend Steve Gurney who was in his prime — ''man, that just about killed me''.
Ferguson vividly remembers the day Queenstown heard Bruce had died.
''It was a very grey, overcast, wet day and I remember coming off the radio with Grant Stewart and going down to have a coffee at Gourmet Express.
''Slowly the word filtered through town, and it was a mood that really resembled the weather of the day.''
Like Beaumont, he's very proud of the grants the trust has made, with later recipients including skiers Alice Robinson, Tim Cafe and Adam Barwood, snowboarder, the late Hamish Bagley, singers Bethany Grant and Emily Burns and tennis brothers Ben and Riki McLachlan.
They'd even single out someone they'd fundraise for during Winter Festival weeks.
''The long list of recipients tells the story of real community giving,'' Ferguson says, adding every trustee over the years also deserves a big pat on the back.
Altogether about $500,000 has been granted to talented up-and-comers.
Since the Covid years, in particular, fundraising has taken a back seat and funding rounds stopped.
The trust, however, has continued to provide generous scholarships to both arts and culture and sporting talent at Wakatipu High.
And since coming under the admin umbrella of the newly-renamed 45South Community Foundation — formerly the Wakatipu Community Foundation — last November, a big burden's been lifted.
This week the trust hosted a function to celebrate its 30th anniversary and the launch of a new logo.
''We just haven't got ourselves back to regular funding rounds, but we hope with a big emphasis on fundraising in the 30th anniversary year we'll get back to that by year's end,'' Ferguson says.
Thanks to NZSki, another Dash for Cash will be held on Coronet Peak on August 3 — an event Bruce dominated year after year.
Beaumont says ''we just need to remind people, if you have the opportunity to raise funds, we're here and we're local, and for some of those young people that have gone on to things, that [Bruce Grant Youth Trust grant] might have been that little bit of a kickstarter''.
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