ASB Marathon runner runs down family’s home lending rate

Monday, 16 November 2015, 3:05 pm
Press Release: ASB Bank

Media Release

16 November

ASB Auckland Marathon runner runs down family’s home lending rate

On Sunday November 1, Napier-based Sim family received a lower two year fixed home lending rate of 2.42% p.a. thanks to ASB Auckland Marathon Run Down Your Rate runner Katie Kemp.

The family, and their two-year-old son Carter, are long-stay guests at Ronald McDonald House® Auckland (RMHA), while Carter is being treated for Alagille syndrome – a condition affecting the heart, liver and kidneys.

Diagnosed at just eight-weeks old, Carter’s long medical journey began when he was airlifted from Napier to the National Children’s Hospital in March 2014.

When the Sim family first arrived in Auckland they soon settled at RMHA, learning quickly that they would need to return to the House multiple times over the next 18 months. Now nearly two years old, Carter and his mother Hazel have stayed at RMHA continuously since July 2015, when he received a liver transplant.

The family made the difficult decision for father Andrew and their two daughters, Mya (12) and Lily (4) to stay in their home town of Napier- a decision largely based on the fact that Hazel had to give up her job to care for Carter, and the family still had bills to pay, including their mortgage.

ASB, a long-time charity partner of Ronald McDonald House Charities, heard about Carter and wanted to help his family. As part the 2015 ASB Auckland Marathon, Run Down Your Rate was introduced where ten selected runners’ race times were converted to a two-year ASB home loan rate. To help ease the financial pressure on the family, ASB extended the first Run Down Your Rate runner’s prize mortgage rate to the Sim family as well.

This has been welcome news for the Sims. When Hazel told her husband, Andrew that they were being gifted the fastest ASB Run Down Your Rate prize mortgage rate, he nearly cried. The Sims say the reduced interest rate will have a visible impact on the family who were considering selling their house in order to reduce their financial burden.

“Of all the deserving families at Ronald McDonald House, we are so grateful to have been chosen as the ASB Run Down Your Rate recipients. First the All Blacks winning, then receiving this incredible interest rate, we feel as though we’ve won the lottery! It still hasn’t sunk in, but we can’t thank ASB, Katie Kemp and Ronald McDonald House enough for all that they’ve done for us,” says Ms Christie.

“It is absolutely life changing – reducing the financial strain on our family while I’m off work caring for Carter, as well as being able to look forward to being mortgage free sooner – it is truly incredible,” says Ms Christie.

ASB Head of Community and Sponsorship Mark Graham says the rate has gone to a very deserving family.

“ASB is delighted to offer Andrew and Hazel the low fixed two-year home lending rate of 2.42% p.a.; we’re thrilled with the marathon time Katie ran and pleased that we are able to help the Sim family through what is a very difficult time,” Mr Graham says.

The Sim family will continue to stay at RMHA throughout Carter’s journey. And they find much comfort in knowing that the House will continue to be here for them in the future.

About ASB’s Run Down Your Rate

Ten ASB Run Down Your Rate winners ran the full ASB Auckland Marathon, with their run times converted into their own two-year fixed ASB home loan interest rate; the faster they ran, the lower their interest rate. Runners could choose to use the rate themselves or gift it to a friend.

The 10 ASB Run Down Your Rate runners’ times were:

ENDS

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