24-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Airport fund has lift-off
Queenstown Airport partnerships and marketing manager Vanessa Hartnell with local NZ Deerstalkers Association vice-president Alastair Gay. PHOTO: SUPPLIED
A new community fund established by Queenstown Airport has made its first distribution of $50,000 to 16 charitable organisations.
The ZQN Community Fund will hand out this amount each year to empower charitable groups responding to the most pressing needs in the Queenstown-Lakes and Central Otago districts.
Administered by the Wakatipu Community Fund (WCF), 78 applications were received for this inaugural distribution.
The applications were assessed by a panel of representatives from the airport, the local council and WCF.
Queenstown Airport's partnerships and marketing manager Vanessa Hartnell says "we had to make tough decisions, but the review committee prioritised projects supporting youth, families and food security — areas where we saw the greatest need".
Alastair Gay, vice-president of the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association's Southern Lakes branch, says their $5000 grant "will mean more hunted game meat can now be processed and donated to local charities through KiwiHarvest".
"This is a win for everyone, as less meat will be wasted and more families will receive great-quality meat, which is an expensive food item."
Other Whakatipu recipients are:
