Run has Geraldine rugby team fighting fit

MARK LAWSON/Timaru Herald

FOR CHARITY: More than 2000 runners and walkers joined the annual Hadlow-to-Harbour fun run.

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A fundraising initiative using the Hadlow to Harbour fun run has the thumbs up from Geraldine High School's First XV.

About 20 players from the team were sponsored to take part in the run yesterday. Not all the money has come in yet but the team's fundraising co-ordinator Lesley Millar anticipated it had raised between $2500 and $3000.

"It's been wonderful because not only has it supported us, it's supported Rotary with their charity," Mrs Millar said.

Not-for-profit organisations and teams can now sign up to the fun run and then seek sponsorship from the community.

In the past, money raised has gone to various charities supported by Rotary – the South Canterbury Hospice, Alzheimers Society, Life Education, Heart Foundation, Stroke Foundation and St John Ambulance.

Under its new scheme, Rotary still raises money for the groups it supports, but community groups can also use the event to fundraise for their own projects.

Mrs Millar said 70 per cent of the money raised would go to the rugby team, and 30 per cent would go to Rotary.

The money was going towards the team's trip to the Gold Coast to attend the 2010 Gold Coast Rugby Carnival and the 2010 Palm Beach Currumbin Tens Festival in July, Mrs Millar said.

In total the trip would cost between $65,000 and $70,000.

The Hadlow to Harbour event had been an easy way to raise money for it, and helped further by having all the paperwork streamlined.

"It's been really, really well set up," Mrs Millar said.

Run organiser Charles Vincent said of the 2000 or more people who participated, about 300 had signed up to use the event as a fundraiser.

He was delighted with the way the scheme had worked and with the event in general.

Mr Vincent said it would take two weeks to find out how much the new scheme raised for Rotary and the various groups that had signed up for the run.

- © Fairfax NZ News