$5 to save our gallery

IT'S A simple enough idea - get a large number of people to donate a small amount once a week to a cause.

Spread the load as wide as possible and not only is it less arduous but more people are invested.

It's the path the Wanganui District Council and the Sarjeant Gallery Trust are taking to boost the Sarjeant Redevelopment Fund by $1 million.

In the Thousand Stars campaign, to be launched tomorrow, people are asked to donate $5 a week for four years.

The timescale for donations is a smart move.

Five bucks a week is the cost of a flat white or a magazine, or a couple of Lotto scratchie tickets.

It's a small enough amount, taken as painlessly as possible, for more people to consider a donation and be happy to do so.

Five dollars a week over four years is about $1000.

Get a couple of thousand donors from Wanganui and beyond, plus interest, and the potential is there to deliver a considerable sum to the campaign, possibly beyond the $1 million target.

The Sarjeant needs the money for earthquake strengthening and redevelopment, including providing a better environment for the collections.

There is little point in having such a facility if it does not have the ability to keep its treasures in tip top condition.

And the gallery is as synonymous with Wanganui as the river and the cemetery circuit bike races.

It's 100 years since Henry Sarjeant gifted his fortune to found the gallery.

To have as many people as possible helping secure its future is a good way to go.

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