Glenn Coogan and Tracey Hunt from Aotearoa New Zealand delivered 23 kilograms of wooden puzzles and gifts to the Creative Centre on behalf of the Rotary Club of Feilding Oroua, last week.

Coogan and Hunt have been visiting the Cook Islands for a number of years and were happy to bring the donations over for the members at the Centre.

“We always looking for things to bring over and help out with things that are needed,” said Coogan.

Creative Centre director Danny Tixier said: “We are very thankful and blessed to receive these resources from Rotary Fielding Oroua, and also to Rotary Cook Islands for their great work and donations that they do for us.”

“We always appreciate resources like these puzzles which can be pretty expensive to purchase here,” he said.

Rotary Fielding Oroua has had a long relationship with the Creative Centre and Rotary Cook Islands.

Five years ago, the Rotary Club members flew in and painted the Centre, and they have also donated resources in the past.

The Creative Centre also celebrated Papa George Strickland’s 72^nd birthday on the day, his caring siblings and family provided a feast and cake for everyone to enjoy.

Strickland was born on July 22 to parents Kura and Jane Strickland of Tupapa. He has nine siblings.

Established in 2001, the Creative Centre provides life skills programme that caters for adults with an impairment.

In 2003, the Cook Islands Creative Centre Trust was established and the new board set about further developing the Centre to what it is today. On April 2008, the Centre was registered as a private school under the Ministry of Education.