Cure Kids Great Adventure Race Challenges The Corporates

February 9 2004: More than 20 teams representing high profile Auckland based companies, are set to compete in a challenging and innovative Southern Traverse style adventure race raising funds for Cure Kids, the charity that funds research into children’s life threatening illnesses.

The Cure Kids Great Adventure Race is a one day multi-sport event, being staged on Auckland’s West Coast and Waitakere Ranges, on April 2 2004.

Cure Kids CEO Kaye Parker says the concept of a race for corporate teams, combined with raising money for the charity, has been snapped up by a number of companies, several who already have strong links with the charity as key partners.

Twenty two teams are entered from –

BMW Group New Zealand, Cadbury Confectionery Ltd, Colliers International, Colenso BBDO, Hewlett Packard New Zealand, Mainfreight Ltd, Masterfoods, Merck Sharpe and Dohme, Microsoft New Zealand Ltd, Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, Philips New Zealand Ltd,Tech Pacific (NZ) Ltd.

“We are delighted with the response and the support from the companies whose employees are all involved in fundraising as part of the event,” says Ms Parker. “Some of the fundraising activities are quite outstanding and it is exciting to see how creative everyone is being. As a result of their commitment we expect to raise significant money for research into children’s illnesses.”

Race Director Alan Nelson is well qualified to front the inaugural Cure Kids Great Adventure Race. He has been the driving force behind highly successful events such as the Mi Corporate Teams Triathlon Series, the Thermatech Head to Head Multisport Race and the Aqua Terra 24 Hour Adventure Race.

The race involves several disciplines for teams of four people. Teams will be required to navigate a series of checkpoints by mountain biking, running/trekking, coasteering, kayaking and swimming.

The course, which is secret and will not be revealed to just before the event kicks off will take around five hours to complete, and each team will have a full back-up support crew assisting them.

But the race is more than just about the physical challenge.

“Brainpower will also be needed,” says Mr Nelson. “The management of team dynamics and strategy application will be an equally important test for the teams.”

As a build up to the race, training seminars conducted by a panel of multi-sport experts have been held, to help prepare teams for the event.

“This event has been designed to allow people in the corporate world to experience something of the essence of those icon adventure races like the Southern Traverse or Eco Challenge,” says Mr Nelson.

The companies involved have become immersed in the whole exercise of training and fundraising and for some, like BMW Group New Zealand the Cure Kids Great Adventure Race has become the basis for team building.

“The race has created an opportunity for us to run a staff motivational programme, at the same time raising funds for Cure Kids,” says Managing Director Geoff Fletcher. “

Two teams have been entered in the race by BMW Group New Zealand with seven fundraising teams working in tandem with the event.

“The objective is to see who can be the top BMW fundraising team and as an incentive there is a travel prize for someone in the winning team.”

Mr Fletcher says the concept of the race is excellent. “It would be difficult to find another event like this which people can enter without having to be dedicated triathletes.”

Cure Kids raises money for research into children’s life threatening illnesses and has spearheaded several world first medical breakthroughs. The most recent, the isolation of a gene causing congenital birth defects, by the Chair of Child Health Research at Otago University Professor Stephen Robertson, received worldwide recognition.

http://www.curekids.org.nz

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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