Rainbows in the park for cerebral palsy
A walk for those who cannot is taking place this weekend - and there will be rainbows.
Walk for Kids is an annual nationwide event run by Lions Clubs to raise money for families and their children with cerebral palsy. This year the South Taranaki event takes place on October 28 and will be a little more colourful than usual.
Martin Berry, a Normanby and Districts Lions Club member and the convener of the organising committee, said the day would make for a fun family day out.
‘‘There’s a rainbow run,’’ Berry said.
The organisers have made nontoxic coloured powder for participants to be covered in. Each lap of the course the complete will mean a new colour will be thrown.
‘‘I’m suggesting that people bring an old, light coloured T shirt or something,’’ Berry said. ‘‘But it’s optional.’’
The event is a 10-kilometre course around King Edward Park and Hicks Park in Ha¯ wera. Each lap works out around 2.5km and Berry said people could participate in as much or as little as they like.
‘‘There will be kids sprinting the whole thing trying to beat each other,’’ he said. ‘‘But then you’ll get others like me, because I’m the convener as well, I’ll probably only do a couple of laps.’’
The purpose of the event is to raise money for the Lions Clubs New Zealand Child Mobility Foundation. The charity supports
‘‘There's a rainbow run. ’’
Martin Berry
children with cerebral palsy who need Hart Walkers.
‘‘We support those families because it’s not only the purchase of them which gets the kids up from a prone position so they can stand and move, they need the Australian doctors to come over and as the kids grow re-fit them.’’
The Normanby and Districts Lions Club, the Mount View Lions Club, the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) and more organisations have come together to organise the event. The RRT will be selling food on the day with all the money going to the charity.
The organisers have also challenged local schools to get a high percentage of their students involved. Those schools will go in the draw to win a 3D printer which was donated by 4U Computer Solutions in Ha¯ wera.
Registrations open at 10am at the Alpine Clubrooms, next to the cricket pavillion, at Hicks Park. Entry cost is a donation and the event starts at 11am. Each participant will also go in the draw for spot prizes.