Fairytale Ending to a Very Special Day
With the cheers of everyone involved, Auckland's BNI (Business Network International) Success Chapter took after their name and took home the prize for 'Most Entertaining Team' at the first annual Great Auckland Bed Race held at Waitakere's Trusts Stadium last Sunday 26th May.
With the overarching theme: 'Bedtime Stories' Success Chapter's entry, based on the popular 'Cars' character 'Lightning McQueen', turned heads as well as wheels, when team mates dressed in overalls dropped to their knees for mandatory pit stops and wheel changes.
"Graphic Designer Ross Murray came up with the idea and Panelbeater Kevin Etches built it," says Gabrielle Ellett of the Professional Property People. Gabrielle championed the team's entry but says it really was a team effort. Chapter members, along with a handful of generous sponsors, pulled their creation together in just a couple of weeks. Ross, who also designed the Great Auckland Bed Race logo, won an award 'Special Contribution to the Great Auckland Bed Race' for his efforts.
For Gabrielle the awards were a fitting finish to a wonderful day. Using Give-A-Little online fundraising, the team raised $1,500 for Mercy Hospice Auckland and they plan to return next year.
BNI Success was one of three corporate teams flying the flag for Mercy Hospice when 12 teams raced a 2.7km circuit around the stadium for their Auckland Hospice of choice. The other two teams were City Boxing and BNI Achievers.
BNI Achievers led the Bedtime Stories parade with their 'Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs' themed bed with Classic Hits Jason Gunn and Dave Fitzgerald in full dwarf regalia. City Boxing, with their 'Three Little Pigs' theme, showed lots of grunt as one of the fastest all-male teams on the day.
"We are very grateful to have their wonderful support as well as from families, colleagues and so many others who got behind all three teams," says Sandy McGregor, Mercy's Fundraising Team Leader. "Their fundraising efforts will be used to assist Mercy Hospice's vital work supporting patients with a life-limiting illness as well as their loved ones."
Sandy was one of an estimated 1,000 spectators on the day.
"It was such a fun atmosphere," she says, "and lovely to see children, the youngest members of our community (who can't always attend Hospice events) out enjoying themselves too."
Event organiser Samantha Jung-Fielding couldn't agree more. She has just one word to describe the day: "Phenomenal".
"When the Bed Race idea was first conceived in England in 1966 only four teams raced," Samantha says, "12 is a great start!"
With the idea of holding a race in New Zealand conceived just six months ago Samantha was amazed at how such a large number of people pulled together in a short amount of time to do something wonderful for Hospice.
For Samantha, a BNI Director, there is just one charity of choice for future events: Hospice. BNI have supported hospices throughout New Zealand for the past six years and have raised over half a million dollars to date. Both active in their local communities, it is a partnership that works for all involved.
Samantha has one other very important motivation for supporting Hospice.
The eldest of her four children, Adam, experienced the care of hospice when his birth mother died coming up to his 13th birthday. Now 23 years old, Adam had a great time racing on the day.
With final results being tallied, Samantha estimates that more than $30,000 was raised for Auckland Hospices through the first event.
Mercy Hospice Auckland would like to thank all those involved with making it such a successful event and for helping bring some magic to patients in need of support and quality end-of-life care.
Photo: Mari Petterssen.