Muffins And Madness For Cure Kids

Two of Accor's teams that are competing in the Accor $10 Race to Queenstown raised thousands of dollars from a combined quiz night held at Novotel Ellerslie on Monday 20 August, with all fundraising going directly to New Zealand charity Cure Kids.

The Accor $10 Race to Queenstown event consists of 25 teams who have to use some Kiwi ingenuity to get from Auckland to Queenstown in three days on just $10. As well as vying to be the first across the finish line, teams compete to raise funds in the build up to the event, with all of the proceeds going to Cure Kids. Cure Kids invests millions of dollars researching life threatening illnesses that affect children and their families.

Zoe Butt and Kirsty Andresen make up Team Novis while Jesse Kornoff and Jessica Carlson are The Incredibles all four are employees at Novotel and Hotel Ibis Ellerslie. The quiz night was a great success, with more than 80 people participating. Teams of eight tackled some tough questions to win a delicious dinner at the hotel's Acacia restaurant and items were auctioned off during the night: two massages from MMC and two gym memberships to Body Tech, donated by the companies themselves. The quiz, along with proceeds from the barbecue and bar and the auctions, raised nearly $4000. The two teams will again combine their efforts in September for a Wine Makers Dinner to raise further funds for the cause.

On a smaller scale, but very popular with other Accor employees, has been Team Novis' Muffin Monday, with nearly 300 muffins being sold - with the help of Zoe and Kirsty's mothers who are on muffin management and baking duty. The two girls have thrown themselves into the fundraising with gusto and describe themselves as "two kiwi birds who aren't afraid to break a nail or two for a good cause!" Zoe and Kirsty will be getting into the spirit by travelling from Auckland to Queenstown dressed as 80s small town cheerleaders.

The Incredibles have also sold Twinkies and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups which Jessica brought over with her from the United States, which has helped with the fundraising too.

Accor is the naming and accommodation sponsor of the event and has been a key partner of Cure Kids since 2002.

If you would like to make a donation to help Zoe and Kirsty or Jesse and Jessica, visit www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/Zoe,Kirsty/ or www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/theaccorincredibles . You can also visit www.curekids.org.nz/accor10dollarrace.htm for more information about the event and to make donations. Dig deep it's for the kids!

Accor, the European leader in hotels and tourism, and a global leader in corporate services, operates in nearly 100 countries with 166,000 employees. It offers to its individual and corporate clients 40 years of expertise in its two core businesses:

• Hotels, with the Sofitel, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel, Ibis, All Seasons, Etap Hotel, Formule 1 and Motel 6 brands: 3,800 hotels and 450,000 rooms in 90 countries, as well as strategically related activities, such as Lentre;
• Services to corporate clients and public institutions: 23 million people in 35 countries benefit from Accor Services products meal and food vouchers, people care, incentive and loyalty programs.

ENDS

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