"Hi, my name is Deborah and I’m a friend of Dave and Cie Mason and an ex Bayside OCC member.
My partner, Harley Howearth, and I have recently purchased an OC6. We would like to honour Dave, and our connection and friendship with him by way of including his name on our new canoe. It would be our privilege to forever remember Dave’s commitment to his beloved sport of outrigging and his much appreciated support of Brisbane OCC after the sudden loss of their much loved Danny ‘Toppy’ Topfer. Our friend Benny Kappi was touched and overwhelmed when Dave refused Benny’s offer to assist Bayside financially after Bayside‘s support of a memorial farewell for Toppy. Bayside club provided Brisbane OCC with canoes, support boats, equipment, assistance from your welcoming and supportive club members and the time and the space to farewell their Toppy. And of course not forgetting the enormous amount of food/kai! Dave was adamant that he would not accept the money as he said we are ‘whanau and that’s what whanau do’ for each other. This gave Brisbane the much appreciated and valuable opportunity to focus all of their attention on the farewell service and to grieve their loss for which they will be forever grateful".