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There’s a fundraiser with a difference taking place in February, when a two-day horse trek through the hills and farms around Ahuroa will be staged to jointly raise money for the local school and community hall.
Organiser Jo Bullock said the first such event last year was a huge success, with between 70 and 80 riders taking part and around $8000 raised for the Ahuroa Hall Advisory Committee and the Ahuroa School Parent, Teacher and Friends Association (PTFA).
“We were so pleased with the success of last year’s trek, we can only hope this year will be as successful,” she said.
“We trek over a number of beautiful Ahuroa farms, with hills and bush and magnificent views that go for miles. It’s a wonderful way to get out and see our beautiful country, meet new people, or reconnect with friends.”
The trek starts at 9am on Saturday, February 23 and runs until the afternoon of Sunday, February 24, with all meals, camping, parking, portable toilets and horse grazing provided. The full weekend costs $200 for adults or $100 for under 16s. Riders can register for a single day’s trek, which costs $120 for Saturday or $80 for Sunday. For children it is $60 and $40 respectively.
Jo said there was a lot of work in establishing the event last year, but it had been well worth it.
“Running something like this is a real team effort,” she said. “As a community and school, we have run lots of events before – school events or sporting events – but we hadn’t run a two-day horse trek before, so some things we’ve had to learn quickly.”
The Ahuroa PTFA put the bulk of its share of last year’s trek proceeds towards the school’s outdoor classroom project. The hall advisory committee added its portion to a fund towards relocating the Ahuroa Hall. They want to move the building further back from its current position on Ahuroa Road onto a flatter, more northerly facing part of the site. It’s a major long-term project that this year’s trek will also support.
“We need to raise a large amount of money and secure support from the council as we continue working towards that goal,” Jo said. “The PTFA will support the school with many projects, but are particularly interested in projects that improve the kids’ learning experiences and outdoor activities.”
Jo said organising the trek would be impossible without “wonderful” involvement from the Ahuroa community, from farmers giving permission to use their land to families providing home-cooked food for participants, as well as support from local hire companies and supermarkets.
Info and registrations: email Jo Bullock at bullock_joanna@hotmail.com or call 021 116 7251
