Kids & Family
Invercargill youngsters will have a chance to stamp their mark on the mighty crane dominating the skyline of Invercargill’s City Centre.
ILT and Leighs Construction are inviting students from local primary schools to enter the ‘Name the Crane’ competition launched last month.
The towering machinery, which measures 43m at its highest point and can lift up to 12 tonnes, was installed onsite earlier this month to enable construction of The Langlands hotel. It is expected to remain for the next 12 to 14 months.
ILT chief executive Chris Ramsay said he was anticipating plenty of creativity in the entries.
“The crane has already been turning heads, especially with the younger generation. This will be the biggest development they’ve ever seen take place in our city so we want to give them a chance to be involved with the project in a fun way,” he said.
“Kids have an awesome imagination so it’s going to be great to see what emerges.
“And yes, we’re expecting there will even be a ‘Craney McCrane-Face’ in the mix.”
Paul Brailey, Southland project director at Leighs Construction, said it was the first time the company had run a competition to name a crane.
“Community engagement is a big thing for us at Leighs, so we thought the ‘Name the Crane’ competition was a great way to get the wider Invercargill community involved, and a fun way for the primary schools and their students to get their creative caps on,” he said.
“We’re excited to see what the kids come up with. A good crane name will involve some creativity, connection to the site and the crane itself, and a name that will be remembered for years to come in Invercargill and at Leighs.”
The best moniker will appear on the crane’s cab while the winner’s own name and school will have the kudos of featuring on site fencing at the inner-city location.
The individual winner will also receive an iPad (sponsored by Leighs Construction) along with afternoon tea for their whole class at ILT’s newly-opened family restaurant The Homestead and $2000 for their school to spend on technology (sponsored by ILT).
Invercargill primary school students can submit their entry by emailing [email protected], along with their name, school and contact number. The competition will run until 5pm on Friday, 27 March 2020.
