Trust to help sportspeople chase dreams

WAIKATO TIMES

Rob Hamill

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Waikato's trans-Atlantic rower Rob Hamill has launched his next challenge, forming a team, including Hamilton rower Andrew McCowan, to be the first Kiwis to row the Tasman Sea from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Now he just needs funds.

Hamill and McCowan will team up with Nigel Cherrie and Martin Berka from Auckland to row the 2250 kilometres across the Tasman early next year, competing against the clock to be the fastest self-powered trans-Tasman crossing.

The rower who attracted worldwide attention when he smashed the record for the Atlantic rowing race in 1997 with the late Phil Stubbs, says his latest challenge is about conquering another goal and setting up a charitable trust to help other New Zealand sportspeople achieve their dreams.

Hamill and Cherrie have set up Kiwi Sport Rewards, a loyalty card scheme to help raise the $100,000 they still need. After discussing the idea, the pair realised it had more potential than fundraising for their challenge.

"There are so many sportspeople out there that are desperate to have a crack at the big time and achieve their dreams but they just never get the chance. It's about giving other people a chance to have a crack," said Hamill.

They have joined in partnership with ACC's Active Smart Scheme, which has 39,000 participants, and have begun signing up businesses.

It costs businesses nothing to join. Members buy the loyalty cards for $20 from the Kiwi Sport Rewards website and receive a 10 per cent discount at participating stores, which have a focus on sport. The stores receive advertising on the website, and of the $20, 40 to 50 per cent will go into a charitable trust to fund other sportspeople's dreams.

The trust, which initially has Hamill and Cherrie on it, will be looking for further trustees. Funding recipients will be decided by members but the sign-off will be given by the trust.

The pair estimate that with about a million people involved in recreational sport in New Zealand, if they got 40 per cent of them to sign on, they would be giving out up to $5 million a year in funding.

"We want to tap into the exploration and adventure market as well.

"We could have just done this for fundraising for ourselves but we think it has a lot of potential. It's an opportunity to hopefully do something for the greater good," said Cherrie.

www.kiwisportrewards.co.nz

- © Fairfax NZ News