Roasting for Rory

A story of Cancer, Coffee & Community

Hi Readers, my name is Bex. I take care of the sales and marketing for LIVING Hawke’s Bay magazine. Some of you may have read some of my previous light-hearted articles about Christmas markets, sunflower fields and places to visit all around Hawke’s Bay. But this one is a little different. This story is about Rory Aroa. My husband-to-be and father to our two wild toddlers. It’s a story of the kindness of community in the face of hardship through the power of a 24-hour Coffee Roast-a-thon

2 year old Olive visiting her Dad in Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital

Cancer 

So, who is Rory? Rory grew up as a Clive local. He is the eldest of three, with two younger sisters in tow. Each sibling vastly different, with overlapping characteristics that weld an unbreakable friendship. His favourite childhood memories often involve being outdoors, playing cricket, silliness with his siblings, or throwing fruit at cars with his best mate, Daan.

Rory is funny, stubborn, complex, fun and incredibly intelligent, a genetic gift from his mum, a fiercely strong woman who has been truly admirable throughout this journey.

Our story, until now, has not been that unusual. A pretty run-of-the-mill young Kiwi couple navigating the fundamentals of adulthood together. Along with our two children, Archie and Olive, we had just bought a home by the beach in Eskdale. Rory had stepped into his role as general manager of a manufacturing business which, second to his family, was the pride and joy of his life. Although, after a weekend of big toddler feelings, I’d argue we might be first equal.

Then, earlier this year, life took an unexpected turn. With little warning, Rory was diagnosed with metastasised melanoma. In layman’s terms, skin cancer that had internally spread to almost bloody everywhere.

Coffee

Years ago, a pair of coffee enthusiasts, Chris and Jonelle Jarvis, sold their Wellington home and moved their family to sunny Hawke’s Bay after spotting a small ad in the Dominion Post about a café and coffee roasting business. That business would become what locals now fondly know as Bay Espresso. If you live in Hawke’s Bay, chances are you’ve enjoyed one of their coffees.

Jonelle comments, “Our hobby of drinking coffee in other people’s cafés quickly became our way of life, and coffee has consumed our lives ever since.”

Then, in 2017, Chris and Jonelle expanded their beverage horizons from coffee to craft beer by purchasing Rooster’s Brewhouse. That’s where our story began, after I applied to be their first bar manager upon my return to Hawke’s Bay. Since then Chris and Jonelle have always remained incredible supporters and great friends.

A few weeks after our news began to circulate, Jonelle reached out with an idea to help. The plan was simple yet ambitious: Chris would make coffees continuously for 24 hours at their Bay Espresso Roastery to help raise funds to support our family. The event was fittingly named a Roast-a-thon for Rory.

Once the posts started circulating, the response was incredible, and we quickly realised we had something special in the making. Word spread fast, with coverage in The New Zealand Herald and several local radio stations. What started as a humble idea turned into something truly special, a testament to the generosity and community spirit that Chris and Jonelle have fostered over the years.

Come Saturday morning, the counter was filled with donated goodies ready for the big day. A raffle sat to the left, a silent auction to the right, and a colourful range of mystery bags lined up to be sold. Customers could choose how much they paid for their orders, with every cent going towards the Givealittle page that Rory’s co-worker had created the day after he was admitted to hospital.

Bex pouring milk for 1 of 700 coffee's made over the 24 hour marathon

Just before opening, car parks began to fill and curious customers gathered by the doors. The nerves that no one would come to our ‘little fundraiser’ quickly disappeared. As the morning picked up pace, a former Bay Espresso employee arrived to purchase a coffee and ended up slipping behind the counter, where she would stay put throughout the majority of the next 24 hours.

Working at the tail end of the coffee production line, it gave me the opportunity to thank each customer as I handed them their drinks. Many shared stories of why they had come. I met Rory’s childhood friends, co-workers and even his school teachers. There were his doctors and nurses, cancer survivors, partners of those who had faced the same battle at our age, and even a man from Christchurch, who had read about the event and made a special detour just to be there.

The deliciously aromatic Paella served up by Ian from Paella-a-go-go

Into the evening, the aroma of Spanish paella began to drift through the air, courtesy of Ian from Paella A Go Go. Once again the crowd returned, drawn in by the promise of good food for a good cause. Soon Chris was left to tackle the graveyard shift alone. Next morning, I was delighted to hear that he had enjoyed a steady flow of night-shift workers and insomniacs who had stopped by to keep him company. “I kind of had one person every 45 minutes, and all of a sudden the sun was rising,” Chris said.

Despite expecting some yawning and glassy eyes, Chris seemed remarkably upbeat for someone who had just completed an all-nighter and downed eleven coffees. But his shift was not quite over. As the morning unfolded, it was déjà vu from the day before, with the line once again snaking out the door.

By the time we approached the 10 a.m. closing hour, the café was filled with generous supporters, all gathered to see Chris cross the finish line of his 24th hour behind the machine. During the event, we served 700 coffees, 121 sweet treats, 92 hot meals and sold 281 raffle tickets, raising an incredible $19,234 to support our family.

Community

Throughout this journey, what has truly carried us are the people around us. The kindness, generosity and compassion shown by Chris and Jonelle, friends, family, employers, co-workers and even complete strangers have been humbling beyond words. The Roast-a-thon was just one example of how our community has wrapped around us, showing that in moments of hardship, people are capable of extraordinary love and action.

Cancer is not linear. You often hear the phrase ‘good days and bad days’, and that is exactly what it’s like. When I began writing this story, I was sitting in a hospice room. Rory was on the good side of a really bad day, one that had followed immediately after one of his best since this journey began.

There is a natural pressure to treasure each day and make the most of every moment, but the truth is that cancer is tiring. For now, we find joy in glimpses of normality. It might just be Rory washing the dishes, hearing him laugh with our kids, or sitting together to watch a crime documentary like we did before he became ill. Those small, ordinary moments are what make most days a good one.

Words by Bex Howie

Photos by Charlotte Anderson

Proud parents pose for their first photo with 1 week old baby Olive