01 November 2017
Te Awamutu's new bike skills park is officially Pop 'n' Good.
Waipa District Council has revealed a major cash sponsorship deal with Te Awamutu-based company, Davies Foods, to build the new bike skills park in the town centre. The sponsorship, which Mayor Jim Mylchreest describes as "phenomenally generous" will cover the entire cost of the bike park build.
Once complete, the facility will be known as the Pop 'n' Good bike park. Pop 'n' Good is a healthy popcorn brand launched from Paul and Donna Davies' Te Awamutu home kitchen in 1984. It is now sold nationwide as part of the Davies Foods product range.
Davies Foods co-owner Donna Davies said she and Paul were very happy to give something back to a "terrific community" that had supported their own family. Paul was born in Te Awamutu and Donna has lived here for more than 30 years, raising their children together and seeing the town develop and grow.
"We saw the bike skills park at the Avantidrome and loved how well used it is and what a healthy, family atmosphere it helps create," Donna said.
"We really wanted to do something that had longevity and encouraged good, healthy lifestyles starting at a young age. We're both keen recreational cyclists ourselves and given the Pop 'n' Good brand and where it came from this was a really good fit. We're just looking forward to seeing it up and running; it's going to be fantastic for the town."
With the sponsorship deal now in place, construction on the Pop 'n' Good bike skills park will begin almost immediately. Civil Construction Services has been contracted to do the work. The existing playground at Selwyn Park will be closed to the public for a period while construction is underway. Closure dates will be advised.
When complete, the Pop 'n' Good bike park will link to the new destination playground and existing rose gardens to become a community focal point at the Te Awamutu hub.
Mylchreest said it was humbling to see a local family give back so generously to the community.
"It's great the whole facility will have such a strong local flavour. We've had huge support for this and the wider destination playground project and I'm just looking forward to seeing kids and families using it."
Ongoing updates on the project will be available at www.waipadc.govt.nz/TA-playground
Pic caption: Donna and Paul Davies from Davies Foods join Te Awamutu sisters Ruby Wrathall (5) and Olivia Wrathall (8) at the site of the Pop 'n' Good bike park. A sponsorship deal from the company means construction of the park will begin almost immediately.
