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The Matakana Community Group’s Fruitloop fundraiser has been shelved indefinitely due to rising event management costs.
The event was first held in 2011 as a way to finance walk and cycleways.
The 7-10km fun-run, walk and cycle, encouraged participants to dress up.
At their monthly meeting on August 5, chair Dr Simon Barclay said compliance costs for traffic management and health and safety were far too costly.
“We were given a very kind donation from Gay Smith at the Matakana Gull service station and we would have been better off keeping it, and not running the event,” Dr Barclay said.
Despite almost 400 walkers, runners and cyclists taking part, the event raised just $8700 – less than the $10,000 sponsorship donated by Ms Smith.
In its heyday, the event raised $35,000 for the group.
Professional events manager Paul Walker voluntarily helped organise the Fruitloop in conjunction with the inaugural Matakana Wine and Food Festival. Mr Walker says he understands why they have cancelled and sympathises with the group.
“You can no longer take any risk with these type of events, it gets complicated and it gets costly,” Mr Walker says.
“Organisations will have to employ commercial entities because of the liability repercussions from inadequate risk management. Sadly that means these types of events will no longer raise the amount of money they have in the past.”
Matakana School’s Omaha Classic fun-run in April was also under threat of cancellation due to recent changes to health and safety legislation.
School Board of Trustees chair Grant Clifton said they sold the event to specialist organiser Running Events. The school provided volunteers and agreed on a profit share scheme, receiving around $4000.
Dr Barclay believes more community fundraisers will be affected.
“I have spoken to other groups and the traffic safety costs are killing them. A lot of these small community events will just fade away.”
