Tasty fresh barbequed fish direct from Aitutaki will be on sale on Friday at Constitution Park to raise funds for the island’s historic 200th Bi-Centennial Anniversary of Christianity’s arrival, next month.

On Rarotonga, the Aitutaki community have banded together to organise and prepare for today’s special fundraising event.

One of the organisers Davina Hosking-Ashford says barbequed meat plates will also be selling this morning along with nu, rimu, food produce, and a spin the wheel raffle as well as the Aitutaki People’s Association raffle of 18 lucky winners will also be drawn.

A radiothon will also run today from 2pm to 6pm on Radio Cook Islands, people are encouraged to call the radio station and offer a kind donation to support the cause.

Hosking-Ashford and fellow Aitutakian George George humbly ask all Aitutakians and the people of Rarotonga to come along and purchase food, catchup with friends, and listen to the sweet sounds of Papa Ruru and the Boys live band.

The organising committee of the 200th Bi-Centennial Anniversary include Aitutaki mayor Tekura Bishop, supported by the island’s executive officer Tuaine George and the bi-centennial committee chairman Pastor Charlie Taamo.

Meanwhile the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) 34th Bi-Centennial General Assembly which was initially scheduled to run parallel to the 200-year anniversary had been postponed to 2023 due to the current Covid-19 travel restrictions and uncertain outlook for travel in the near future both locally and overseas.

Nga Mataio, the CICC general secretary, had explained that the decision was not an easy one for the committee to make given the great amount of preparations done by Aitutaki and all those who had planned to visit the island for the two back-to-back events, “but there were no other viable options apart from the ones decided on by the committee.”

With the support of the government, the Pa Enua, Rarotonga and family and friends overseas, the island’s 200-year celebration is going ahead as planned but has been scaled back to just three days, from Monday, October 25 to Wednesday, October 27. The day to mark the arrival of Christianity to Aitutaki will be October 26.