WERO Quit Smoking Challenge – Northland Teams Win Again

Media Statement

12 July 2013

WERO Quit Smoking Challenge – Northland Teams Win Again

Two teams from the Haititai Marangai Marae at Whatuwhiwhi, near Kaitaia, have taken away the major prizes in the latest round of the WERO teams quit smoking competition.

Te Rorohuri, and Te Whānau Moana placed first equal with all 10 members from each team reaching their smokefree goal during the competition which ended in mid June.

The two teams take away the 1st prize of $5000, and the 2nd prize of $2000, and the winnings are being donated to their marae which has recently undergone a major upgrade.

Also winning was the Otātara team, from Waima in the Hokianga, who won $500 for the Otātara Marae. The team were enthusiastic participants on the WERO website, and the competition provides the bonus prize for the team that posts the most blogs and comments during the competition.

Fifteen teams from throughout Northland, each with 10 members, began the competition in mid March, and over the following 3 months monitored their progress on the WERO website as they competed against not only each other, but also 7 other teams from the Hawkes Bay region.

Teams competing in the competition are supported by a coach of their choosing, and specialists trained in quit smoking support such as Aukati Kaipaipa, and Quitline. On entering the competition teams agree to donate major prizes to a charity or other organisation of their choice. The winners of the first WERO competition held in 2012 were the Otiria Legends who donated their prize to the Otiria Sports Club, and 2nd place getter Nga Ahunga who donated their prize to the Hokianga Kapa Haka group who competed at last years Te Matatini.

The WERO competition has recently been successful in gaining support from the Ministry of Health’s Pathway to Smokefree New Zealand Innovation Fund, and will be rolled out across the country with the next competition starting 1 September.

Teams interested in entering for that next competition can go to the website www.wero.me, or contact Northland DHB’s Tobacco Control Advisor Ralph Ruka, Ralph.ruka@northlanddhb.org.nz.

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Members of the winning Te Rorohuri and Te Whanau Moana teams at the WERO prizegiving held at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Pukemiro, Kaitaia

ENDS

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