Fish And Chips for Kiwi Kids in Need

Fish And Chips for Kiwi Kids in Need

Fishpot café and Mr Chips aboard Variety Trillian Bash for 26th year

Auckland businessman Peter Drummond has long had a connection with Variety – The Children’s Charity, from fundraising right the way up to being International President of a charity that aims to give Kiwi kids in need a hand-up. He’s a great believer in people helping themselves, but acknowledges sometimes it takes a hand to provide the boost any kid – or grown-up – needs to take the next step up life’s ladder.

And that’s why he’s so appreciative of the team of sponsors that gets behind his fundraising effort, and his 18-litre LA Ladder truck. The 1960 Seagrave ladder truck has two separately-steered cabs, one for each end, linked by a 30.5-metre ladder that can stretch 10 stories.

It’s just one of around 25 quirky and classic vehicles that will join the Variety Trillian Bash fund-raising rally this year, doing their bit to boost Variety’s coffers in New Zealand, a fraction of the US$88 million the charity raises, worldwide, each year.

“But none of us could do it without our sponsors,” he says, “and this team is lucky – the truck is pretty thirsty, that 18-litre motor likes drinking petrol. But the crew needs refuelling too, which is why we’re doubly happy to have the Fishpot Café on board. And where would fish be without Mr Chips? Fish and chips could be New Zealand’s favourite dish – certainly it’s popular in the rural heartland through which the Bash passes, so we’re doubly glad to have that duo aboard.”

Mr Chips has supported Drummond’s Variety fund-raising team for almost the whole 30 years it’s been supplying potato and kumara products to New Zealand and the rest of the world. Along with the Fishpot Café, it’s joined Drummond’s team for every New Zealand Bash, and this will be its 26th. “I’ve ben very fortunate with my sponsors. Marsh the insurance broker has done 20 years, Breville and Hirepool, along with Haier, have offered great support, and JFC Contractors stores the vehicle between fundraising events,” Drummond says.

Between them, they help keep Drummond’s ladder truck moving. It’s the only one in Australasia, but he says having an eye-catching vehicle helps – not only when entertaining kids at rural schools in the often remote backblocks through which the Bash passes, but also to attract the grown-ups to come over for a look, and perhaps drop a few coins in the team’s ever-ready fundraising bucket.

This year it will be joined by 24 other vehicles, including a Thunderbirds craft, a fire tender disguised as a fighter jet, a Mini carrying a giant cupcake atop its roof, and a Lightace truck rebuilt to resemble a giant Kenworth rig.

Peter says his team and sponsorswork for Variety because they “like the way it helps individual kids with individual problems maximise the opportunities for their lives,” and it fills in the gaps that otherwise get overlooked but which can make a huge difference to an individual child.

2016 Variety Trillian Bash route
March 12: Levin to Blenheim – thanks to Bluebridge ferries
March 13: Blenheim, via Wairau Hospital visit toPortage Resort
March 14: Portage area, visit Waitaria Bay School
March 15: Portage to Nelson via Linkwater School, Havelock School, Canvastown School, Rai Valley School, Hira School, Clifton Terrace School, Auckland Point School
March 16: Nelson to Blackball via Auckland Point School, Brightwater School, Wakefield School, Murchison Area School, Westport, Greymouth.
March 17: Greymouth to Lake Coleridge via Cobden School, Blackball School, St Patricks School, Dobson School, Lake Brunner School
March 18: Methven to Timaru via Methven School, Rakaia School, Chertsey School, Fairton School, Asburton Borough School, ending at the Caroline Bay Sound Shell

ENDS

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