Dannevirke's Family Affair celebrates Relay For Life success

The team marches in the opening parade.

Since lockdown the results from the Manawatu Relay For Life run March 14-15 are in and Dannevirke's Family Affair had their awesome achievements confirmed.

Altogether the team raised $8910, winning the Family and Friends category - a feat also achieved in 2018.

Darren, Andrea and Kay do a lap for Family Affair.

Chief organiser Faye Ratima said there were 30 members in the team drawn extensively from Dannevirke but incorporating friends and family from "Tauranga to Plimmerton, Taranaki to Rotorua".

She thanked all those who have supported their fundraising activities saying the Dannevirke community is awesome but so too are the other communities from which her members came.

Two major events – both casino evenings at Dannevirke and Akitio – were very successful and a lot of fun for the whole team and its participants.

Overall the Manawatu Relay For Life raised $377,160. 95 to fight cancer, almost exactly $20,000 more than 2019 – a great achievement when other Relay For Life regional campaigns were losing momentum.

Of course Covid-19 put a stop to many of these and Faye says Manawatu was very lucky to "squeak their one in before the lockdown".

Tararua had four teams in the event – Family Affair, Woody Tawa from Woodville, Rangitane's Te Kete Haoura and Tararua College. Collectively they raised over $20,000 – the district punching well above its weight.

Faye says, "I'm very lucky to have such a great family that keeps committing to this every year and now their families are starting to show the same commitment. What a great country we have!"