The Dunedin branch of ''The Kittyhawks'' was formed in 1996.
The late Stan Sear took up the challenge set by the original Auckland Kittyhawks to start up a local Branch, in due course, a meeting was called and 14 handpicked bowlers founded Kittyhawk Bowls Dunedin.
Gary Fleming, a long time Kittyhawk servant, presented Dunedin with their own Kittyhawk flag upon their formation- this is still in use today!
From the original 15, well known bowler Ken Walker is the sole remaining foundation member- however the Club has remained vibrant and the full membership currently stands at 48, with an enthusiastic committee of nine.
The ideals of Kittyhawk Bowls Dunedin are to raise the profile of bowls in the region, to foster youth bowls and to raise funds for worthy local charitable causes.
Their main projects are an annual Optional Mixed Fours event as a fundraiser and an annual Age Group Optional Drawn Pairs as a youth event.
Over the course of their existence, a staggering $164,000+ has been raised for many local charities.
This years tournament is being held on Sunday 3rd November, and will be a special occasion.
Nearly 200 individuals will be involved, with the host Club being Taieri.
It's a fantastic Charity event, and their are “ spot” prizes for touchers, music throughout, free nibbles and is a fascinating aspect is that the winner is drawn from the field! [ regardless of results]
Follow the Kittyhawk Bowls Dunedin social media for results from this years tournament.
The Calder Stewart Age Group tournament is the other main project for Kittyhawk Bowls Dunedin.
This has evolved over the years from a mixed singles tournament, to the current and extremely popular under 30 Drawn Pairs event with a prize-pool of over $2000
Entry is restricted to 32 players and this year the ages ranged from 9 through to 29.
Everyone gets a prize and each year has been a brilliant success.
If you're ever at the Hope Dunedin Lawn Bowls Stadium, you can see the results of these efforts on the Charity Beneficiaries Board, which outlines the nearly $200,000 that have been raised and donated to Charities and Youth bowls over the time that Kittyhawk Bowls Dunedin have been in existence.
What an effort this is from an enthusiastic and motivated group of people, who've given back to the community for nearly thirty years and show no signs of stopping.
Long live the Kittyhawks!