The 2017 North Harbour Club AIMES Awards Gala Dinner fell on Armistice Day, Saturday November 11th. So this was the theme chosen for the event. Guests dressed up appropriately for the occasion and the room and entertainment reflected the theme. Some guests even wore their own or family medals.

The evening was all about showcasing the young talent we are fostering in the North Harbour region. The MC for the evening was well-known media personality and North Shore local Judy Bailey, who was wonderful. The Royal New Zealand Artillery Band was a highlight of the evening as were performances by AIMES Award recipients Lauren Bennett (violin, Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Seans); Matthew Beardsworth (composer, March in E Minor); Robbie Ellis (singer/musician, And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda); Clarissa Dunn (soprano, I Could Have Danced All Night).
23 young people received AIMES Awards grants valued at $200,000 in 2017 across the AIMES, AIMES Emerging Talent and Junior Excellence categories. The North Harbour Club & Charitable Trust has now made $2 million worth of AIMES Awards grants since its inception. The AIMES Supreme Award for 2017 went to Lewis Fry, a doctor, scientist and teacher who is currently undertaking a Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford.
Armistice Day: After four terrible years, the First World War finally came to a close with the signing of an armistice between Germany and the Allied Powers on 11 November 1918. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the guns famously fell silent.