Student Army Steps Up To Support Odd Shoe Day

10 August 2012: Camp Quality’s Odd Shoe Day national awareness campaign next month has received a boost, with hundreds of university students pledging their support for the cause.

Camp Quality New Zealand (CQNZ) is a not-for-profit volunteer organisation, established more than 25 years ago, which provides support programmes across New Zealand each year for more than 300 children aged 5-16, living with cancer.

The Head of Physiotherapy at Auckland’s AUT University, Dr David Nicholls, challenged his students this year to become more involved in their community by supporting a charity. With a number of them involved as companions at Camp Quality’s annual summer camps for youngsters with cancer, they agreed to step forward and support Odd Shoe Day on Friday September 14.

“I am delighted they chose a charity like Camp Quality that can benefit from our input,” he says. “We will fund raise on the day, drive awareness of the campaign across our social media networks and do whatever we can with an army of up to 400 students to ensure the success of Odd Shoe Day.”

Former NZ cricket representative and CQNZ chairman, Gary Troup, says the offer of help by the student army “is exactly what small charities like ours with big ideas need to ensure maximum impact.”

He says it follows the backing Camp Quality has received from Mazda NZ and Re-Max who have both swung in behind OSD by asking all Mazda dealers and Re/Max real estate offices nationwide to become key collection points for the campaign and to offer whatever support they can to ensure its success.

Camp Quality is seeking a gold coin donation from Kiwis young and old who are prepared to wear odd shoes to school, work or even while out and about on September 14. “The idea is to make it a fun experience,” says Mr Troup “and we hope even those who chose to wear normal footwear will also support us with a donation.”

Mr Troup says more than 80 schools nationally have also agreed to support the gold coin initiative as have a number of Lions Clubs. “This is the first of what we hope will become a regular Odd Shoe Day fund raising campaign and we are most grateful for the wonderful support Camp Quality has received.”

According to Child Cancer Foundation statistics, around 150 young New Zealanders are diagnosed with cancer each year. Camp Quality passionately believes in the power of fun to help these children and their families overcome the challenges cancer brings.

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