Baking tasty treats for the emergency services of Gore was the perfect opportunity for pupils of Gore High School to give back to their community.
As part of their career navigation programme, pupils ran the project in partnership with the Graeme Dingle Foundation.
Emergency service workers from the Gore Police Station, Gore Fire Station and St John Gore were recipients of the baking.
Pupil Aryan Kumar said they all wanted to give back to first responders.
‘‘[They] have a good reputation and they work hard,’’ Aryan said.
They had a great group of people there and they all worked as a team, he said.
They had been planning the project throughout term two.
Pupil Rubi Edwards-Whangapirita came up with idea to create baking for the first responders.
‘‘I [thought] it would be great to give [to] our first aid responders,’’ Rubi said.
The project gave her and everyone a great sense school and community pride, she said.
Graeme Dingle Foundation Career Navigator co-ordinator Alan Steele said the programme helped set the pupils up for the future.
‘‘Part of the programme is [for] students to learn about employability skills,’’ Mr Steele said.
It was designed to equip senior school-aged youth, with the skills, knowledge and confidence to support them when they left school, he said.
The pupils got to choose and organise the project and they decided baking would be the best way to give back to the community, he said.
‘‘First responders give so much to the community and a lot of them are volunteers, so they wanted to show their appreciation on behalf of the community.’’
Last year the pupils organised a non-uniform day with a sausage sizzle and basketball tournament to raise money for Starship Hospital.
They have run this programme at Gore High School for five years.
Gore Volunteer Fire Brigade Chief Fire Officer Steve Lee thanked the pupils for the baking.
Gore Police Station Senior Sergeant Gary Iddenton also thanked the pupils for the baking and admitted it would not last long.
