10 October 2013

Ports of Auckland Round the Bays call for charity applications

Plans for the 2014 Ports of Auckland Round the Bays are well underway, and organisers are calling for applications from registered New Zealand charities that benefit children and young adults in Auckland to apply for funding from the Auckland event.

The fun run, scheduled for Sunday, 9th March 2014, is one of the world’s biggest fun runs and New Zealand’s largest mass participation sporting event.

Each year a large portion of the proceeds from the event - co-owned by Fairfax Media and the Auckland Joggers Club - are donated to selected charities. Earlier this year, Ports of Auckland and Fairfax presented a number of cheques to recipient charities from the 2013 event.

A total of $110,000 was distributed to benefit projects like Variety NZ’s Laptops for Learning and Choice Foundation’s Stand Tall programmes. Money donated will also help provide medical equipment to children suffering from cystic fibrosis, grant more wishes through Make-a-Wish New Zealand, and contribute to early childhood literacy through Fairfax First Books. Facilities at the much-loved YMCA’s Camp Adair will also be improved thanks to funds raised via the 2013 fun run.

The annual event attracts nearly 70,000 walking, jogging, and running enthusiasts who take on the 8.4km scenic course stretching from downtown Auckland to St Heliers.

“With almost half of event participants not registering, the total amount available for donation is reduced. We encourage all participants to register, to ensure a better outcome for charities benefitting Auckland’s children and young people,” Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson said.

Having just joined Fairfax as new managing director, Simon Tong looks forward to the event and implores more Aucklanders to get involved and register their participation.

“I may be new to the company, but am certainly not new to Round the Bays. It is an event that is so richly part of Auckland’s heritage and I think it’s important for people to understand that their registration makes a huge contribution to such worthy causes. Don’t run for nothing!”

Online registrations open at the end of November. To enter please go to www.roundthebays.co.nz.

The addition of online fundraising for the 2013 event was a huge success, with Auckland Cystic Fibrosis raising an impressive additional $23,000 on top of their pledged donation. This year, organisers have set the challenge for charities to take advantage of this platform to leverage fundraising for their causes. Entrants are also encouraged to get involved and raise money for one of the selected charities.

Successful charities must outline a specific tangible project the donation will fund, which must benefit as broad a group of children or young people in Auckland as possible. Charities are invited to submit their application via the Round the Bays website. Applications must be submitted by midday, Friday 31 October. Applications will be assessed and the chosen charities announced in mid-November.

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