Amillion hellos, a $160k goodbye for Shirley

‘‘I must have said a million ‘hellos’,’’ says Shirley Miles.

Now Nelson’s Pearly Queen has said goodbye to her marathon fundraising efforts for the Nelson Tasman Hospice.

Over the last 15 years, she has volunteered more than 2000 hours of her time and travelled over 13,000 kilometres to raise $160,000 for the hospice, mostly in her distinctive pearly suit at the Nelson Market.

On Wednesday, she presented the hospice with her final donation and the meticulous paper records she has kept detailing her volunteer work since 2002.

Miles, 82 was quick to point out that she never rattled her bucket for donations, she simply acknowledged people with a smile and a hello.

Last year, Miles was told she had inoperable colon cancer. She chose not to have treatment and was told she had months left to live.

However, she was determined to make one last appearance at the Nelson Market in December.

Nelson Tasman Hospice Trust Chair John Peters said Miles had been the face of hospice for many people over a long period of time.

‘‘You have been such a great ambassador for us,’’ Peters said. ‘‘It’s amazing, what a wonderful contribution to have made over all those years.’’

Miles said her work volunteering for the hospice was made possible by former hospice chairwoman, the late Elspeth Kennedy, Nelson Market founder Nita Knight and the thousands of people who had dropped donations into her bucket.

Her late husband John supported her volunteer work. Miles said the distance he had covered driving her to and from the market, and to speaking engagements for the hospice, was equivalent to three times the length of New Zealand.

Miles first began collecting at the market at Christmas in 2002. In that first year she collected $6189 and seven years later she had reached $50,000.

Her initial goal of reaching $100,000 was a ‘‘pie in the sky thing’’ when she began but in 2012 she decided to aim for $150,000.

Nelson Tasman Hospice CEO Frans Dellebeke said her efforts had also gained national recognition, including a Queen’s Service Medal in 2016 for services to charity fundraising.

At her last appearance at the market before Christmas, Miles said she was showered with hugs, kisses and thank yous while the donations poured in.

A doll dressed in pearly finery and a stained glass window designed by Miles would feature in the new hospice building in Stoke in memory of her contribution.

‘‘The spirit of Shirley will still be there,’’ Peters said. A New Home for Hospice The Nelson Tasman Hospice is asking for the community’s help to fundraise $2.5 million of its $11.5m new building project. Cheques can be sent to Nelson Tasman Region Hospice Trust, PO Box 283, Nelson 7010 or you can donate online at www.nelsonhospice.org.nz/donate