The Olympic Dinner
June 29th, 2012 at 1:00 pm by David FarrarI was in my penguin suit (no jokes please) last night for the Olympic Gala dinner at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland. This is a major fund-raising dinner for the NZ Olympic team. I was a guest of ANZ Bank, who kindly invited me.
The night was an excellent one. We got to see the NZ team uniforms launched, John Hawkesby was the genial MC for the night, and there was great music, food and drink.
I did suffer somewhat from a sense of inadequacy. I was seated between two Sarahs (very much a case of the thorn between two roses). One has an Olympic gold medal and may just be the nicest person in New Zealand, and the other (equally nice) is responsible for around $54 billion of mortgages, which you know is not bad for a young woman in business. High achievers is not quite the right word for them, but a couple of levels above that. I felt a bit like the dunce who by mistake ends up the top class 
The dinner is hosted by the PM, and there were lots of laughs when he announced that now the Mixed Ownership Model legislation had been passed, the Government was going to sell off two of the five Olympic rings.
There was in fact a sell-off, or a charity auction to raise money for the Olympic team. I was amazed that dinner with the PM went for $26,000, while 14 nights accommodation anywhere in the world in a luxury hotel of your choice went for only $18,500. I know which one I’d rather win
Also amusing was when John Hawkesby said that Paula Bennett had told him off for his slurs against West Auckland people, and that if he didn’t apologise she would head-butt him
Only a month until the Olympics starts. I am looking forward to them. One factoid from last night I did not know is that we have (off memory) 23 competitors who are ranked in the top three in the world for their event, and in 2008 it was just nine. That is no guarantee of medals, but is a sign of the potential we have to do well.
The must see race for me will be Nick Willis in the 1500m.
Anyway was a superb night’s entertainment. My thanks to ANZ for their wonderful hospitality. ANZ are one of the official partners of the NZ Olympic and Commonwealth teams. They also sponsor Pairs Rowers Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, Rower Emma Twigg, and Cyclists Natasha Hansen and Sam Webster plus Paralympics swimmers Rebecca Dubber and Cameron Leslie.
Related posts:
- A great ceremony
- Olympic Sports that should not be
- Raybon Kan on Olympic gag
- SST editorial on Olympic gag also
June 29th, 2012 at 1:15 pm
I read in The Australian this morning that ‘London may hold a minutes silence at the opening of the games, in rememberance of the Israeli athletes who were murdered in ’72.’
It’s well overdue.
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Proof there are people with very poor taste.
Vote:Good fun for a good cause.
June 29th, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Hawkesby I think is the surname you are looking for
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Would the PM have got a larf if he took a page outta Bills’ book and jested that
“Every Olympian will be drug tested before they get taxpayer money”
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I am pleased that you were able to accept ANZ’s hospitality. What intrigues me is that so many people now view corporate hospitality (eg, RWC events) as evidence of corruption. This is not a dig at you.
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Call me a dirty communist but I think it’s appalling that there are some people in the world who can afford to spend half of my student loan on one night’s dinner with the PM, and in the meantime students are paying $50000 for an education.
[DPF: They are donating $26,000 to charity effectively. You think that is appalling. I think that attitude is appalling]
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 3:07 pm
An Olympic dinner? Do you get a gold medal for eating more than anyone else in world record time?
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 3:08 pm
Mon dieu I would be forgiven for thinking you were in fancy dress as a penguin. You would be a good impersonation. Good to see John key still has his warm sense of humour. Smiles are a bit forced these days in the government. It isnot confidnt glad morning anymore. I hope the pm stays resilient in these harder times.
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
aredhel, your worse than a dirty communist, without the people who CAN afford to pay that for dinner with the PM you wouldnt have the education system we currently do, paid for through their taxes in large part.
On a positive note…
As a keen cyclist, Ive followed Sarah U’s career for years. When she won gold at Athens, I was jumping up and down silently screaming her on (it was around 1AM from memory, didnt want to wake the lids), tears rolling down my face.
A few months later she was doing promo work at our local supermarket, heavily pregnant. Had youngest daughter with me, walked up to her and started talking to her about that night, and we both ended up in tears and big hugs. She is an amazing lady
Daughter went home and told the wife I had cried and hugegd a pregnant lady at the shops, cue much consternation and subsequent hilarity
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
Poor aredhel. Just suffer in silence, will you.
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 6:05 pm
I was in my penguin suit………….hmmm in your case DPF isn’t the same as your birthdays suit?? Must have been a tad chilly….
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 6:43 pm
The must see race for me will be Nick Willis in the 1500m.
Yes it will be interesting to see if he’s grown a set of balls or if he’s still too gutless to try and win.
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
That’s all very well but perhaps ANZ could reduce our mortgage rates a bit and stop being fucking socialists like the rest of you and spending other peoples money. I’m sure the depositors would appreciate it as well.
As for sportsman, well go earn your cash like the rest of us. Then you truly will have achieved.
If this country spent as much money on business as it does on sportsman we would be properous.
[DPF: Are you a communist? If you don't like ANZ's rates, then go elsewhere. They are spending their money, not your money. You are a customer, not a share-holder. Jeez, and you dare to claim you are a right winger]
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 7:34 pm
When will people get it through their heads that businesses don’t spend money on hospitality unless they see a payback, however indirect. Focusing on the expenditure and ignoring the payback is to miss part of the picture. Think of it as another form of marketing. They don’t spend all that money without an expected payback either.
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
Aredhel777:
Well get this, there are people in the world who can afford to spend the equivalent of all the earnings I have ever made over my entire life on their spoilt daughter’s birthday party.
But there are also people in this world, who in their lifetime spend less than what you waste on a cup of cheap coffee at the student cafe. You should be ashamed of yourself, you nasty rich capitalist. Why aren’t you giving YOUR money to those who are less well off than you?
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Amazeballs.
Vote:June 29th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Meh.
Some years ago I visited Montreal and made a point of visiting the Olympic stadium. They have an area that has plaques detailing all the medal winners from the 1976 games.
It was pretty sobering. There were few events and this was the last games in the West before its coca colonization in 1984. Now it’s just a joke. Loads of silly no events and corrupt as hell. The amateur athletes were people of character. The present bunch have more than their fair share of irritating money grubbers. It’s pretty much a scam.
I would have thought that this being a conservative blog would have meant a dim view of this appalling piece of corporate welfare.
Vote:June 30th, 2012 at 11:30 am
The uniform the team is wearing is lovely, a classical design reminiscent of haute couture of the 50′s brand Chanel.
Vote:Past and present team members Mahy Drysdale and Sarah Ulmer had a hand in the design of the competition gear and it looks comfortable and sporty, and the logo design came from a competition won by Gareth Gardner of Wellington and is also reminiscent of an era when the Kiwi sporting brand was iconic and inspirational. Congradulations to all involved.
Perhaps next time we could have a little more local content in the manufacture, it all helps and yes we can do it.