Countdown To Inaugural South Island Cure Kids Great Adventure Race

February 27 2007: The inaugural South Island Cure Kids Great Adventure Race which will raise funds for medical research into children’s life threatening illnesses will be staged in the Queenstown region on Saturday March 3.

Thirteen four person teams will compete in the corporate multi-sport race on a challenging course which involves running/trekking, mountain biking, traversing waterways, navigating and route finding.

Teams represent Skope Industries (2) , KPMG and Colliers International from Christchurch, Cadbury Confectionery Ltd (2) from Dunedin and Queenstown companies AJ Hackett Bungy (2), Arrow International, Outside Sports, Parker Law and Southern Alpine Recreation (2) in conjunction with Lyttleton Engineering and Leitner-Poma.

Cure Kids South Island Funding Manager Josie Fitzgerald says the teams have been committed to both training and fundraising for the event for the past few months.

“We are delighted with the response from the teams for our first South Island race. Each team also has a four person support crew and they have all been actively involved in the lead up to the event. We know we are going to have a great race on the day.”

Race director Alan Nelson will reveal the start of the course at the event launch at Skyline Restaurant on Friday (March 2) evening. The full course will not be unveiled until just prior to the race start at 8.30am on Saturday.

“What I can say is that the terrain is challenging and will offer competitors a terrific variety, at the same time showing off the best of the Wakatipu. In the last day or two some of the key volunteers and I have checked the course out and we are confident that the teams will enjoy the diversity and the mix.”

Fifty volunteers will help man the checkpoints and transition areas throughout the course and Search and Rescue personnel will have an active role. The Wakatipu St John Ambulance will be on hand throughout the event.

“We could not run this event without the strong behind the scenes support from the volunteers and we are indebted to them, “says Mr Nelson.

The Cure Kids Great Adventure Race was first held in the Waitakere Ranges in 2004 and since that time has raised $1.4m for medical research. Based on the success of the North Island event it was decided to expand into the South Island.

Three young Queenstown Cure Kids ambassadors Isabella Davies (10) who has leukaemia, Sophie Newbold (11) who suffers from CFC syndrome and Daniel McKay (14) who has an inherited heart disease - will be present at both the launch and throughout the race to meet and mix with the competitors.

“Their presence will highlight just how important it is to raise funds for research to try and find preventions and hopefully cures for the illnesses these children have to live with every day,” says Ms Fitzgerald.

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