Runner accepts appeal challenge e
Newburn hits road to visit Countdown stores in fundraising bid
Marathon runner Perry Newburn will spend 24 hours running to and from Countdown stores across Hawke’s Bay to raise money for the Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal.
He will be starting at midnight on Tuesday and is hoping to finish the run by 7pm on Wednesday.
Newburn will begin his challenge at the Carlyle St Countdown and will then head to the Waipukurau store.
From there he will run back to Hastings, then to the Munroe and Dickens St store before finishing back at Carlyle St.
Countdown Napier’s store manager, Philippa Reston, said Newburn was a regular shopper at the store and had been talking with one of the supervisors about Countdown Kids.
“They got chatting and he basically volunteered to run for 24 hours for us.
“I said ‘how about you run between our stores’ and people could be there at each one to greet him, have a barbecue and a chat before he moves on to the next one.”
Reston says there will be donation coin boxes at each Countdown check-out, with a description of what Newburn will be doing to help the cause.
“One of our staff will be following him in a car for the race with balloons and water, basically for safety reasons and to keep an eye on him.
“When he hits the Waipukurau store, the fire brigade will be there as well as one of the local schools and they’ll be making barbecued baconand-egg sandwiches and then they’ll send him off on his merry way again.”
Newburn says he expects to arrive at the Hastings store by about 2.30pm on Wednesday.
“The staff will be doing the same thing as Waipukurau, putting on a barbecue and having a welcome ceremony for him.
“All along the way we’re trying to get gold coin donations from the customers and from the people who are around. Once he leaves Hastings he’ll run back to my store in Napier.”
Newburn will head back through Clive and along the waterfront on Marine Parade.
“It’s such an exciting venture and if people want to join in and run with him they’re welcome to do so.
“Some school-age kids are even planning on joining him after school.”
All funds raised will go towards Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal and help Hawke’s Bay Hospital install a critical cooling unit.
The annual appeal began in August and runs until October 28.
It’s raised $11.6 million since it first began in 2007, originally operating under the name Fresh Future Children’s Hospital Appeal.