Posted by Jaye Howey on Sep 13, 2018
With Hutt Valley Rotary, Eastern Hutt Rotary has been involved with Duffy Books for many years. Conceived by Alan Duffy in 1992, so far in 2018, the programme has reached over 520 Decile 1-4 schools, nearly 300 Early Childhood Centres, over 100,000 students, all financed by more than 200 funding partners and supporters.
 
One child from each class is called forward at a full school assembly to receive their 2 books and then the "Duffy Hero" speaks.  This year's role model is Lyric Faleafaga, the Black Ferns 7's player.  Following her talk, each class then goes back to their room and Rotarians are invited to accompany a class and help with handing the books out.
 
"Hi everyone,
My name is Lyric Faleafaga and I’m part of the Black Ferns 7s squad. This is my second year being in the team and have enjoyed the environment every day since I joined. I grew up in Porirua but went to St Mary's College in Wellington.
 
I started playing netball when I was 7 back in Windley School Primary but didn’t start playing rugby until 2015 in college. I really enjoyed the physicality of rugby which is probably why I continued with my rugby career. Favourite highlight from my rugby career was when our college 7s team last year travelled to Japan for the World Sanix tournament.
 
We ended up taking it out and bringing the cup home to show our families and friends which was awesome. It was probably my favourite highlight because it was my first tournament playing overseas, even though it was for school, and also my last tournament before my surgeries for my shoulders!
 
My favourite book would be James and the Giant Peach written by Roald Dahl. I remember reading this book when I was 9 years old one Sunday morning and found it so interesting that I ended up reading the whole book that day."
 
We are once again proud to be associated with such a great cause.