Celebrating Ray Thomas - Spirit of Wellington Award
The Wellys 2024, Brady Dyer – Image Lab
The Post Wellingtonian of the Year Awards (The Wellys) honours those who have made significant contributions to the Wellington region. Asian Events Trust was thrilled to see Ray Thomas awarded the recipient of the Jemima Gazley Spirit of Wellington Award at this years’ event held on 27 March 2024.
Ray founded Acton International Marketing in 1978, creating a long-standing partnership with Asian sauce giant, Lee Kum Kee to market and distribute their products in Aotearoa New Zealand. He was the catalyst for a Lee Kum Kee sponsorship that brought Lunar New Year celebrations back to Wellington this year.
Linda Lim, Asian Events Trust Chair says, “Ray Thomas is a remarkable individual who epitomises the essence of community spirit.
The role Ray played in bringing Lee Kum Kee on board as principal sponsor for the festival this year showcases the importance he places on building a strong and vibrant community spirit for Wellington,” says Linda.
The Wellys 2024, Brady Dyer – Image Lab
The Wellys 2024, Brady Dyer – Image Lab
As a community-led festival, Lunar New Year celebrations in Wellington are vital to building understanding of our cultures, and fostering strong communities. But funding is critical to ensure sustainability of these events.
This year, Lunar New Year celebrations were only days from cancellation because of a lack of funding. Ray asked his son William, now Executive Chair of Acton to find out what it would take to ensure the festival proceeded.
Ray’s quiet and quick actions behind the scenes led to Lee Kum Kee signing up as the principal sponsor for the 2024 Wellington Lunar New Year Festival. This enabled Asian Events Trust to revive plans for a much-loved festival for Wellington.
The weekend-long event in February attracted an estimated audience of over 46,000. People of all ages, backgrounds and ethnicities came together to celebrate Asian culture and Lunar New Year traditions in the capital.
The strength of the community’s efforts to work together to mark the Year of the Wood Dragon resulted in a spectacular festival programme, showcasing a rich tapestry of cultural performances, traditional cuisines, and festive activities. The festival was a truly community-led celebration of the Lunar New Year, with a programme comprising events organised by AET and other community groups and organisations.
“The value Ray places on community spirit is a beacon of inspiration. It reminds us that acts of kindness and generosity have the power to shape our community.
Asian Events Trust is not only grateful to Ray, but also for the unprecedented level of support received from the community, enabling us to deliver a festival within only three short months from planning to execution.
It shows us that community spirit in Wellington is not only alive and well, but stronger than ever,” says Linda.