Rugby Players Association and Sporting Stars Take On Challenge for Nation’s Kids

House of Travel racing for Starship at Orion Health Godzone Adventure

A team from the New Zealand Rugby Players Association in conjunction with select sporting stars will fundraise for the national children’s hospital Starship in the 2012 Orion Health GODZone Adventure.

The event is an expedition-style adventure race taking place in Queenstown this Easter (7-14 April). The race traverses a distance of approximately 450km taking most participants around four to five days to complete. Teams, who must remain together at all times, will be expected to navigate, trek, mountain bike and kayak on a non-stop basis over a vast array of different landscapes testing the mental and physical skills of participants.

House of Travel in conjunction with The New Zealand Rugby Players Association has put together the four-person ‘House of Travel Racing for Starship’ team to compete. The team comprises of ex-Blues and New Zealand Maori player David Gibson, current Black Fern Huriana Manuel, ex-Blues player Ben Meyer and Rugby Players Association CEO, Rob Nichol.

Other well known sporting stars and faces will join them for various legs of the race. All Black and current Sky rugby presenter Ian Jones is the first confirmed to join the team for the early stages of the race with others to be announced over the coming weeks. The team will be racing under the House of Travel and Starship Foundation banners aiming to raise funds for Starship’s National Air Ambulance Service.

Year-round the Air Ambulance Service rushes medical experts to life-threatening emergencies around the country where they stabilise children and allow them to be brought safely to Starship to receive care. The Starship Foundation raises the $1.5 million needed annually for this vital service, which includes staff training, and aviation costs.

The costs of the ‘House of Travel Racing for Starship’ team are being covered by the Rugby Players Association meaning all funds raised go directly to Starship. Corporate sponsorships have kick-started the much needed funds that will also support Starship’s National Air Ambulance Service.

House of Travel is the exclusive gold sponsor of the team with Skoda New Zealand first on board as a silver sponsor and MoleMap New Zealand, a bronze sponsor.

Over the next several weeks the team will focus on getting other corporate and business partners on board to support the cause.

The general public is being encouraged to support the team and Starship by visiting its fundraising page at www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/godzone or by texting STAR to 469 to make an automatic $3 donation.

Orion Health GODZone Adventure Co Race Director Adam Fairmaid says the team will bring a celebrity twist to the event.

“It’s awesome that these guys are willing to step up to the challenge of the adventure and at the same time raise money for such a worthy cause as our Starship children. We always planned to include a celebrity/charity element to the event and the Rugby Players Association has been inspirational in pulling together a team for a really good cause.”

Friends of Starship Chair Gretchen Hawkesby says the Friends of Starship are thrilled to be associated with the challenge that the Orion Health GODZone Adventure represents.

“The competitors all know and take considerable inspiration from the past and future Starship Air Ambulance patients and their families. We wish the ‘House of Travel Racing for Starship’ team a safe and speedy completion of the event. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association’s dedication to this cause, and we hope that the rest of New Zealand will share in their enthusiasm.”

To support the House of Travel Racing for Starship team and donate to Starship visit www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/godzone or text STAR to 469 to make an automatic $3 donation.

ENDS

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