Kidicorp Gets Behind Disadvantaged Kids
Kidicorp fire truck enters Variety Trillian Bash
The Kidicorp team with kids and staff from First Steps Onslow, where the team made a presentation
When the Variety Trillian Bash rolls into its annual eight-day road rally from March 7, calling in at towns from New
Plymouth to Napier, and Wellington to Auckland, it will be joined by the bright blue Kidicorp fire truck, carrying a
young team committed to helping disadvantaged Kiwi kids.
There’ll be seven young Tauranga folk aboard “plus any of the celebrities who want a lift,” Morris says, “Andy has her
eye on Shane Cortese, while I’m hoping to snare Suzy Cato, who’ll be joining the convoy from our home base in Tauranga.”
The crew will call in at Kidicorp centres from the New Plymouth start and along the route, which meanders round the East
Cape, up to Ohakune and Waiouru, back to Wellington, and to Auckland via Napier, Taupo, Rotorua, Tauranga, Cambridge and
Thames.
Team captain Morris ‘Moo’ Danks bought the 1981 International V8 fire engine five years ago, and transformed it into a
fundraising Variety Trillian Bash conveyance with the Bash in mind.
That meant adding music and sirens, fettling the hoses and 1000-litre water tanks, and finally applying a coat of
Kidicorp Blue: “Kidicorp was a natural to get involved, thanks to its national network of childcare centres. Kids are
our future, and they deserve the best. Unfortunately some are born with a dud hand, and others have parents struggling
to manage, and if we can help raise the funds to give them a hand-up, well, we’re committed to doing it – and having fun
along the way,” team member Andrea ‘Andy’ Berghan says, with an infectious grin.
She will never forget her first sight of a Variety-donated Liberty swing. “A little girl in a wheelchair due to cerebral
palsy got to have the first swing of her life in Christchurch, with the wheelchair securely locked into the swing. She
squealed with delight, and we all had tears in our eyes.” Nor will she forget how a few hours on a working bee can make
a difference – after helping Moirs Christian Camp install new gardens and conduct maintenance work.
“That time it was the staff in tears, they asked for the help to get the place ready for kids in need of a summer
break, and for us it was a few hours each, but with all the crews involved it meant weeks of work by their volunteers
finished in a morning.”
Morris and his young team are now hooked on fund-raising for Variety, and ensure they make it fun, marshaling for sports
events, taking part in parades, and planning a year of fund-raising activities to make the generous donation needed to
take part in the annual Variety Trillian Bash rally.
“We couldn't do it without our sponsors – Kidicorp and Red Ant, and support from Telfer Young, Barton Painting, Mag & Turbo TGA, Pak ‘n’ Save, Link Business and JBL,” Morris says. “Like us they all believe in helping Kiwi kids, and
understand that sometimes all it takes is an entertaining day and a good giggle. Our team goal is for Kiwi kids to
smile, and to see our fire truck as a beacon of hope that they can reach their full potential.”
Meanwhile the hard-working team say meeting the kids helped by the Variety Trillian Bash helps keep them humble in their
own lives. “Meeting some of these kids puts everything into perspective,” Morris says, “Hearing their stories of
overcoming adversity and having the courage to reach their goals, no matter the barriers they have endured.”
ends