The Cook Islands Red Cross fundraising ball this Friday night at Tamarind House in Tupapa will have an international flavour to it on three counts.

Firstly, it’s been deliberately scheduled to coincide with the coronation of King Charles III, secondly the musicians for the night are members of the Royal New Zealand Navy band, and thirdly the Chief Judge of the New Zealand Māori Land Court is the guest speaker.

Chief Judge Wilson Isaac is no stranger to the Cook Islands or to Cook Islanders – he is a Judge in the courts here and his warrant has just been renewed for a further period. However he’s about to step aside from his Land Court role in Aotearoa, and from his position as chair of the Waitangi Tribunal. The Tribunal is a permanent Commission of Inquiry which receives and considers claims of breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi by the Crown and its agencies. Hundreds have been received, ranging from historical land grievances to more contemporary matters.

The Royal New Zealand Navy band is well known and regarded in New Zealand, not only for its parade work but also for its jazz and brass music. A trio will play during drinks on arrival at the venue, and a brass quintet during dinner.

More than 200 guests are expected to attend the ball which has been sponsored by ANZ Bank at Tamarind House and the event is a sell-out.

Secretary-General of the Red Cross, Fine Tu’itupou-Arnold, at the forefront of preparations, is looking forward to Friday, “this is our first ball since Covid, and it’s been great to be able to plan our event around the Coronation.”

Speaking of the support that Red Cross has received in staging this event, Tu’itupou-Arnold has praised those who have put in so much time and effort “Red Cross, ANZ and Tamarind House have been working closely as a team for many weeks now, and I’m really pleased at how everything is coming together. I do want to thank all those whose enthusiasm, drive, and sheer hard work has brought us this far.”