A Wairoa couple has drawn massive support locally and from Gisborne, thrusting their Pork Pie Charity run team well in front of the national leaderboard with nearly $30,000 raised so far.
The biannual Pork Pie Charity run is a fundraising event, this year raising money for charity KidsCan, with teams in Minis travelling about 2300 kilometres over six days and seven nights.
The event, which runs from April 3 until April 10, pays tribute to the classic Kiwi film Goodbye Pork Pie by loosely following the route taken by the Blondini Gang in the film.
The run caps at 50 teams due to logistical constraints and entries can sell out in minutes.
Wairoa couple Vaughan, an employee of AFFCO and a butcher by trade with a passion for charcoal cooking, and Erin McNabb, a registered nurse, are the driver and co-pilot behind Team BushBeachBBQ “Yroa”.
They bought a Mini Cooper from a family member about three years ago and knew right away they wanted to have a go at the Pork Pie Charity Run at some point.
“The charity run is really hard to get into, when they open it up we’ve only got a very short window, it might only be a 10-minute window, to get your registration in,” Vaughan said.
They registered their interest and were selected as one of the 50 participants.
Since then, their eye-catching red Mini Cooper with its growing collection of sponsor signage has travelled to schools and businesses across their district and in Gisborne.
As of Wednesday this week, they had already raised $27,331 after starting with a goal of $30,000. The second team on the leaderboard has raised $13,445 so far.
“Vaughan had his sights set for $30k and we’re just smashing it,” Erin McNabb said.
We’re this tiny little community, we’ve been battered and hit and whatever, but everyone has got a good heart. Vaughan has done a lot for this community and a lot of people are paying back. It is really amazing.”
Vaughan said, along with plenty of Wairoa organisations and businesses, Gisborne-based sponsors included Gisborne’s A F Thompson Contracting and Parikanapa Station with Pāmu Farms.
King Creations signwriters in Gisborne were responsible for getting the sponsors' logos on the mini.
He said there are two more logos to get onto the mini – each logo represents support anywhere from $500 upwards.
They are currently raising funds by running a nearly sold-out raffle for a bar leaner made by former Gisborne man Terry Drummond.
“We put 100 tickets on it at $20 and I’ve nearly sold [them all] in about a week,” Vaughan McNabb said.
“We’ve just ticked over $27,000, we’ve got another sponsorship deal for another $500 going in, and this $2000 from this raffle will see us close to what our target was going to be and we’ve still got a couple of months to go.”
When asked what motivated them to support the cause, Erin said they lived in a town with high needs and they saw tamariki in need.
“Some kids can’t afford new, so it’s [about] helping and it’s the children that are being helped.”
Vaughan said the money would support schools in their district and Gisborne.
“If we could get more input from the East Coast it would be really cool.”
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He was impressed by the support amid what he described as “a hard season for a lot of people”.
Those interested in supporting the team can donate at their team page https://porkpiecharityrun.org.nz/t/bush-beach-bbq-yroa.
The last time the event was held in 2023, 50 teams raised a record $417,000.
This year, the event aims to raise $500,000, which is estimated to be enough to support 1,500 more kids.
KidsCan helps tamariki experiencing hardship by providing shoes, clothes, nutritious food and health items through programmes in schools and childcare centres nationwide.