Hawke's Bay communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle will thank Tauranga for its generosity after the disaster by putting on a free concert for our community tonight, April 21.

In mid-February, Tauranga Aero Club rallied the local community for a donation drive to support Hawke's Bay communities including Wairoa, Ruatoria, Gisborne and Napier, after Cyclone Gabrielle struck.

Tauranga Aero Club's chief flying instructor James Churchward says the drive saw 45-50 tonnes worth of good transported to Hawke's Bay. 'We did 15 tonnes by air, so the volume of stuff that went down there was unbelievable.

'The whole community was involved. We had traffic jams at the airport so we had to have people in the traffic directing the cars. We were so excited because when our planes started flying down there [to Hawke's Bay], nothing had gone through yet and everything was all messed up from the cyclone, and to see the planes arrive, and just have good and things that they need like bread milk, nappies for babies, sanitary pads for women.

'It was just really touching for us and they were just so overwhelmed with what was going on.”

Now the good deed is being returned – musicians from Wairoa and Ruatoria are travelling to our region to perform tonight, April 21, at the aero club, to show their appreciation to Tauranga through song.

'I think it's very cool,” says James. 'They didn't have to but they wanted to do something for the community itself. They're very thankful for what the community here in Tauranga has done, and they just wanted to come up and thank us.

All are welcome at the concert from 5pm tonight.