“Our rangatahi [youth] don’t walk alone” is one message organisers of an upcoming community fundraiser hope to deliver.
The newly formed Rangatahi Ora Hauraki is set to host a 24-hour walkathon at Rhodes Park in Thames on November 4 and 5 to raise funds for I Am Hope’s Gumboot Friday.
Rangatahi Ora Hauraki is a collaboration of Thames Kāhui Ako, Oranga Tamariki, Off Grid Native, Teen Esteem, Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki, CAPS Hauraki, Living Well Trust, Ngāti Maru Rūnanga, Te Whāriki and other agencies that support young people.
Event organiser and CAPS Hauraki youth worker Roanne Mitchell-Te Teira told The Profile Gumboot Friday was a nationwide event. “We just wanted to change it up this year and think outside the box and run a community event where we can all come together as services and work together,” she said.
“Teen suicide is something that we deal with in terms of rangatahi and we do have rangatahi who access those services.
“We’re just trying to help raise money so they can access those free counselling sessions through I Am Hope.”
Roanne said people could enter the drug and alcohol free event as individuals or teams with any koha (donation) and are required to walk for a minimum of two hours.
She also encouraged live entertainment to register for the event.
“On the Friday [November 4] between 10am and 3pm the focus is going to be on our rangatahi because we want them to come so we want to have a talent quest, kapa haka, face painting and gumboot throwing,” she said.
“Into the early evening we want some more adults to come down and we want to have some live bands and raffles.
“We want to try and get every business on board to donate prizes for us to raffle off because it’s a massive community event.”
Roanne said a 24-hour barbeque was also planned.
Details: 24-Hour Walkathon Community Fundraiser hosted by Rangatahi Ora Hauraki, Rhodes Park Thames, November 4 at 10am to November 5 at 10am, individuals and teams can enter with any koha (donation), all proceeds going towards free youth counselling with I Am Hope, for more information or to enter contact: rangatahiora.hauraki@gmail.com.
