Classic Cars' Quarter Century Helping Kiwi Kids

CLASSIC CARS' QUARTER CENTURY HELPING KIWI KIDS

25th Trillian Variety Bash raising funds for children in need

New Plymouth will ring to the sound of sirens and the sight of classic and quirky cars on March 6 at the launch of the 25th Trillian Variety Bash, a rally raising funds for Kiwi kids via Variety – the Children’s Charity which will circle the North Island for a good cause.

Named after classic Kiwi ‘bush bashing’ and famed for raising funds and delivering grants through some of New Zealand’s quietest backwaters as well as among its busiest streets, The Bash has raised around $7.95 million dollars since its inception.

Teams from as far afield as Auckland and Christchurch, New Plymouth and Tauranga will be accompanied by a varying cast of New Zealand celebrities as they travel from the Taranaki to Ohakea via Wanganui, to Waiouru and South to Wellington, where the quirky convoy will pause at Parliament.

From there it’ll traverse Highway 2 to Napier, cross to Taupo, wend its way through Rotorua to Tauranga, then tour north via Cambridge to Auckland, to end on Saturday March 14 with a grand celebration hosted by MOTAT.

Each team pledges thousands of dollars of fundrasing to the cause to join in, and every team shakes buckets along the way to augment the charity’s funds, but what drives these hard-working fun-loving men and women to decorate their cars and organise their colourful costumes is not just the difference the money makes, but also the entertaiment they give to kids along the way.

Every ‘Basher’ believes in the core values of Variety – the Children’s Charity – that it’s about helping New Zealand children be the best they can be, whether that’s via a specialised laptop for a blind, deaf or autistic child, or sports kit for the financially disadvantaged, a trike for a physically challenged child, or books and equipment for rural schools, it’ll all be handed out by the Bash to kids in need along the route.

Applications for grants are still being taken, for everything from basketballs and new shoes to the keys to a Ford Sunshine Coach, but the route itself is now fixed, and the actors, magicians and entertainers who’ll come along for the ride are polishing up their acts to brighten a few lives along the route the Bash will traverse.

Look out for more details on teams that are entering and celebrities signing up as the launch date appears, and meanwhile keep up with the Bash on facebook or via its website,bashnz.co.nz.

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