2007 Accor $10 Queenstown Race To Cure Kids Aims To Raise Significant Funds For Research Into Children’s Illnesses

September 28 2007: The 2007 Accor $10 Queenstown Race to Cure Kids, which starts in Auckland on October 3 and finishes in Queenstown on October 5, hopes to equal last year’s fundraising total of $315,000 for research into children’s life threatening illnesses.

The race, being run by Cure Kids for the third consecutive year, is based on the original Queenstown $10 Challenge which challenges competitors to make their way from Auckland to Queenstown, with just $10 in their pocket.

Twenty three teams of two are entered in this year’s event and teams are required to raise $7,000 each as a pre-requisite to the race. Funds raised will go towards the Cardiac Inherited Diseases National Screening Programme and other vital research projects.

Cure Kids general manager Thelma French says some teams have already exceeded the $7,000 target and have until mid-day on October 5 to increase their final tallies. The Fundraising Champion team, which is always a sought after title, will be announced at the prizegiving.

“There have been an incredible number of novel fundraising ideas from the teams this year,” says Ms French. “It never ceases to amaze us just how innovative people can be.”

The Accor Team Novis of Zoe Butt and Kirsty Andresen, raised money from their fellow workmates when they dared their boss, Novotel and Hotel Ibis general manager Paul Archer to wear an All Black’s jersey, a big call considering he is a staunch Wallaby supporter.

Rebel Sports Rotorua entrant Buddy Evans organised an in-store Cure Kids Cycle Classic, with staff members sponsored to ride 1540km from Auckland to Queenstown on an exercycle. His race partner, New Zealand champion surfer Maz Quinn’s autographed surfboard, was sold on an on-line auction raising further funds.

One competitor’s on-line auction has a strong link with Cure Kids. Kieran Fleury auctioned a basketball, signed by Dancing with the Stars competitor and Cure Kids ambassador Brendon Pongia on Trade Me, and the winning bidder was the mother of a young boy who had attended a Ticket to Hope weekend in Queenstown.

“Brendon, who has been a top New Zealand basketball player, was at the Ticket to Hope and had a huge impact on the youngster, so much so that he has been motivated to play basketball ,” says Ms French. “His mother couldn’t believe her luck, when she found the basketball on-line and says it will be the best birthday present ever for her son.”

The competitors leave Auckland on Wednesday (October 3) and will undergo a series of challenges en route to Queenstown. The challenges are sponsored by the Youthtown Trust and organised by Clued Up.

“Last year challenges included racing a in a dual sulky at Alexandra Park and finished with bungy jumping in Queenstown. The competitors have to complete the challenges in different parts of the country before continuing on to the finish line.”

The competitors, who also include Jason Kerrison from the popular OpShop band with his race partner Nathan Hart from More FM, Fairfax journalist Rebecca McLean, Paul Forno who is competing for the third time and Neil Robinson and Tarsh Taia who have entered for the second year running, can be tracked during the event by a GPS system.

“This is an excellent system and as well as helping organisers know where competitors are it means people can follow the teams on the Cure Kids website,” says Ms French.

Safety Director, Alan Nelson, will be on hand throughout the race and race headquarters in Queenstown will receive information continuously from competitors while they are on the road.

“They have to text information into headquarters each time they get a ride so that at all times we know where they are and who they are travelling with.”

The sponsors for the Accor $10 Queenstown Race to Cure Kids are Accor Hotels, adidas, Fairfax NZ, More FM, Qantas, Rebel Sport and Telecom.

Visit www.curekids.org.nz for more information about donating to the Accor $10 Queenstown Race to Cure Kids, and background about the race and the competitors.

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