What began as a conversation at a graffiti clean-up site in Hunter Street between Jeff McCloy and retired NRL player Sione Finefeuiaki on Sunday had, within hours, turned into the former Newcastle lord mayor offering a donation of up to $1 million to help the people of Tonga recover from the recent earthquake and tsunami.
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"It's unbelievable," said Mr Finefeuiaki of the property developer's offer.
"I was lost for words after he called me."
Ever since the January undersea volcano eruption off Tonga, and the tsunami it triggered, Sione Finefeuiaki has been helping those impacted by the disaster. He has been driven by love for his homeland, and for family members in Tonga.
Even before the tsunami, the former Newcastle Knight had reached across the Pacific to assist the island nation. In 2017, he had formed a not-for-profit organisation, Sione's Foundation, to provide help in a range of areas, from health and education to construction.
But Mr Finefeuiaki's efforts intensified after the disaster. After all, his parents and a sister live close to the coast in Kolonga, at the eastern end of the main island, Tongatapu. So through them, Sione Finefeuiaki has been hearing how tough conditions have been for many people in Tonga.
"It's been very desperate," he said. "They're a little bit okay now, but I'm worried about the ongoing situation. The plantations they live off, they're all dead, and most people live off the land."
What's more, he said, many water sources had been affected by the tsunami. So accessing clean drinking water has been a major problem. At the moment, Sione's family are having to boil water on an open fire outside to ensure it is potable.
Through his foundation, Sione Finefeuiaki has been appealing for donations of clothes, water, and non-perishable food.
The donations are to be shipped to Tonga on March 31 in two large containers. To fill those containers, the call for food and water, in particular, goes on.
"We have enough for three quarters of a container already," he said.
There is also the cost of shipping the containers. To help pay for that, on Saturday there was a fund-raising event featuring rugby matches between Newcastle Pasifika and the Hunter Wildfires.
According to Mr Finefeuiaki, the day raised about $9000. And that was before a sizeable donation from a man who didn't attend the matches but wanted to support the day: Jeff McCloy.
Enough was raised to pay for the shipping, and to buy more food.
As a way of saying "thank you", Sione Finefeuiaki and members of the two rugby teams attended the graffiti clean-up campaign Mr McCloy had organised for the Newcastle CBD on Sunday morning.
While working outside a building in Hunter Street, the former rugby league player and the ex-lord mayor finally met.
"I shook his hand and thanked him," said Mr Finefeuiaki.
The two men talked about Tonga.
Newcastle being Newcastle, Jeff McCloy had already heard about the challenging situation out in the Pacific. He had been talking to Newcastle Knights and Wests Group CEO Philip Gardner, who had been yarning with Mr Finefeuiaki at the beach a few days earlier.
"One of the biggest issues is clean water," Mr McCloy explained.
So when Jeff McCloy talked with Sione Finefeuiaki, the issue of drinking water, among other challenges facing Tonga, was part of the conversation.
"I asked him. 'How can I catch up with you?'," Mr Finefeuiaki said. "He gave me his number and said, 'Phone me when you need me'."
But Sione Finefeuiaki didn't have to make the call. Arriving home, he noticed he had missed two calls from a number he didn't recognise. Still, he decided to phone it back. It turned out to be a million-dollar call.
On the other end was Jeff McCloy. He had been thinking about the water problem. And he had a solutiion.
"Rather than cart water in, we find some desalinators," said Mr McCloy, adding that freighting water was both costly and a temporary solution.
"It's going to be a substantial exercise, but sustainable."
And expensive. To help turn the idea into reality, Mr McCloy said he would donate up to $1 million for desalination systems and other materials, such as pipes and tanks.
"I almost fell off my chair," recalled Mr Finefeuiaki.
According to Sione Finefeuiaki, Jeff McCloy ended the call by saying, "Let's stop talking. Let's do it."
But doing it, Mr McCloy conceded, required a lot more planning. He was still working out how many desalinators would be needed, and how to transport them to Tonga - "but, rest assured, we will". He said there would also be a need for providing training in maintenance.
When asked why he made the offer, Mr McCloy replied, "It feels good when you can make a difference."
Sione Finefeuiaki said this would make a huge difference to the lives of the Tongan people.
"It's everything," he said. "Water is so important."
As for Jeff McCloy, Sione Finefeuiaki declared, "He's a miracle man, mate."
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