'One Love, one heart…”
'Let's get together and feel alright…”
Bob Marley felt the love, and so will thousands of party-goers this Waitangi weekend.
Twenty-thousand people are expected to celebrate Marley's kind of music at one of the world's biggest reggae festivals presented by Pato Entertainment – One Love – at Tauranga Domain on February 4-5.
This year organisers are spreading the love with another generous donation to Homes of Hope – a charity that provides foster care to children in need. Every dollar from every ticket sold will be donated once again to the charity.
'This is our third year with Homes of Hope,” says organiser Pato Alvarez. 'It makes me feel good that the money we give them allows them to care for more children.”
With an expanded capacity of 20,000 people, One Love is expected to raise another $15,000 or more for the not-for-profit organisation.
Homes of Hope chief executive officer Hilary Price is absolutely overjoyed and ever so grateful the festival has chosen to support the organisation for a third year.
'The ongoing support of the community enables us to do what we do. We believe that investing in our children is the best investment you can make. We're delighted that One Love would want to back that.
'Last year it [the $15,000 donation] gave us the cashflow to enable us to take four additional children. If we've got the cashflow, we can care for more kids.”
The festival is this year expected to bring 15000 people from out of town, with accommodation in Tauranga for those two days selling out four months ago, says Pato. 'From those 15000 people, 1500 are expected to travel from overseas from mainly places like Australia, USA , the islands like Rarotonga , Fiji , Tahiti and Europe including France and Germany to name few.”
Pato says last year One Love brought 10,000-12,000 people to Tauranga for the two-day festival, which is a big boost to the economy.
'If you calculate one person spending $500 into the economy that weekend, times 10,000, that's $5 million.”
Pato says the community and Tauranga City Council is responding well to hosting big events and bringing big acts to Tauranga.
'Five years ago, it was totally different. Now council is open to the idea and keen to want to be part of this. We've proved that it's possible.”
Music brings people together, says Pato. 'One Love is one of my favourite festivals, you can't help but feel good. You can read the people and everyone is just uniting, just walking inside you feel the love. It's a really good feeling, it's got a good vibe.”
He puts it down to a great team of organisers behind the scenes – a team he calls his family. 'My team just want to keep it fresh and set a good example. We feel the vibe and want to share the love,” says Pato.
One Love is at Tauranga Domain on February 4-5. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: onelovefestival.co.nz
Door sales will not be available.
The Weekend Sun has one double pass to One Love to give away to one lucky reader who can tell us what charity the festival is supporting this year?
Enter online at www.sunlive.co.nz under the competition section. Entries must be received by Wednesday, January 25.