Family

Kiwi stars honour their dads for Father’s Day

Celebs share their special moment with dad for a good cause
Hilary Barry

Growing up, many of us will have experienced the generosity of the ‘Bank of Dad’. Whether it was using the last of his coins to buy you a treat from the ice cream truck, or pitching in to help secure your first home, dads have always been there for support.

This Father’s Day, instead of paying back the Bank of Dad, ChildFund New Zealand is encouraging Kiwis to pay it forward by purchasing a microloan from their Gifts that Grow online catalogue. The microloan goes to young people in Sri Lanka, helping them to start their own business and break free from poverty. The catalogue also includes a range of other alternative gift ideas.

To help kick off the initiative, Kiwi celebrities such as Hilary Barry, The Block’s Alex & Corban and Miriama Kamo have shared their favourite ‘Bank of Dad’ memories:

Alex & Corban

Corban and his dad shared a love of projects, while Alex says that from an early age, her dad taught her about being responsible with money.

Corban: “I recall being around the age of five when Dad would pay me 75c an hour to be his assistant mechanic working on old Morris Minors. I learnt all the tools, I developed a love of mechanics, building, creating and my Dad and I developed a great relationship! Most of my creativity and knowledge of mechanics stems from my father’s influence. There’s nothing better than sitting down and brainstorming some wacky idea with Dad.”

Alex: “From the age of twelve I had my first job, and he would be right alongside me helping to create budgets and spreadsheets so I could learn how to save up for my own independence. Dad would always explain that with working hard and earning money, you then have a silent responsibility to give a percentage away to people who are in need or to places that need the help.”

Alex and Corban share special memories with their dads.

Hilary Barry

Hilary describes her late father as a treasure – full of wise words and calm counsel, but there was one particular gift that came along at just the right time…

“It was a fridge in my first flat. I couldn’t afford one and was living like a freedom camper buying and throwing out milk each day because I didn’t have somewhere to chill it. He bought me a second hand Kelvinator fridge that I treasured and that followed me from flat to flat for years.”

Miriama Kamo

Miriama drew on the ‘Bank of Dad’ for wisdom, not money – and she is all the richer for it.

“My parents had five kids, they worked hard, but it wasn’t until we were older that we realised how hard they worked to make sure we always had what we needed. My dad didn’t give us money for big purchases, he did better than that. He taught us how to work, save, and value what we had, and to strive for what we wanted.”

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