Four years for the Kate Moetaua Foundation

by Brydie Macbeth - Aug 31, 2022

A Queenstown family is helping to keep their mother’s memory alive through a foundation supporting young people to achieve their goals.

This year’s recipients of grants from the Kate Moetaua Foundation are set to be announced later this month.

Kate Moetaua, a much-loved drama teacher at Wakatipu High School, died in 2018.

The foundation was created to fulfil her wish to provide opportunities for young people to thrive in the fields of sports, arts, and education.

The Moetaua family present scholarships at the 2019 Wakatipu Foundation Gala (Image from the Kate Moetaua Foundation).

Anika Moetaua, Kate's eldest daughter and one of the foundations directors, says her mother dedicated so much of her life to inspiring and teaching young people.

“As a family we are able to continue on Mum's legacy through doing this,” she says.

The foundation is now in its fourth year and continues to grow with community support.

But it’s often the small things that can have a big difference on a young person’s life, Anika says.

“It started with us wanting to provide kids the money to buy a pair of shoes or attend a drama class. This small idea to make a small impact has grown.”

The latest application round has just closed, and Anika says the family continues to discover volumes of talent among the young people putting themselves forward.

And narrowing down the field is a tough task.

They’d love to award a scholarship to everyone, she says.

“In reality we can’t if we really want to make this big difference.”

Each year more donors are coming onboard, and the family has plans for community-based fundraising events next year.

“The main thing for us all along has been the community and family aspect.”

The whānau - Anika, Aya, Malia, and their father Teaukura – work with Eunice Borrie of the Wakatipu Community Foundation to award the scholarships.