Pacific Wave

Pat Morrow, Pacific Wave and Myself

How can I even begin to put into words what a week like this means to me?... There have been so many positives I don't quite know where to start....

Lets start with the BIGGIE, way back when I first starting thinking I could make getting to Kenya a reality and the idea of the Silent Auction was still just formulating, one of my amazing friends generously offered to paint an item for me.  This wasn't an offer to be taken lightly, here I was being offered an item to auction off by Pat Morrow.

To the uninformed Pat Morrow is also known around New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific as Tatman Pat, this guy isn't just good, he is a fantastic tattoo artist. 

Pat has won numerous awards for his tattooing and is in demand both here in New Zealand and in Australia.  Pats paintings along with his tattoo skills are widely sort after, so to be offered a piece of his work to auction is a huge honour. His skills were so sought after in Australia that he and his family have recently relocated to the Gold Coast and have now set up a studio in Brisbane, but he makes frequent trips back to New Zealand, and today was one of them.    

Around lunch time today, after what can only be described as an insanely busy morning, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a stocky Samoan man walking into my office (nothing unusual about this, our school is predominantly Pacific Islanders that's who always walk through my door) but then I realised who it was, and I saw what he had tucked under his arm.  Even though I had been told he would deliver me a piece, to see him standing there, moved me to tears, after the usual bear hug, Pat started to unwrap what I now know to be -  Pacific Wave, before he had even finished unwrapping it, I was in tears, I looked up to see my office was full, like wildfire, word had spread that Pat was here and he had brought the piece he was donating to my auction, the response,
only one word for it......OVERWHELMING.  

Already so many people are expressing an interest in Pacific Wave, I just know it will be a focal point of the whole evening.  Pat how can I ever thank you for such an amazing piece of art?  (between you and me, I really want it on the wall in my house, but that would kinda defeat the purpose huh) 

Asante Morrow family asante. 

Pat, if you want to pick up some Kenyan business, I'm happy to wear a True Markings t-shirt in as many photos as you want me to.