Gumboot Friday walk raises funds — and blisters

The Mates celebrate walking 21km wearing gumboots —Dean Winlove, Hereworth School (left); Sam Winlove and Charlie Slingsby, Waipukurau School; Mac Ward, Takapau School; Louie Hamilton, Waipukurau School; Jack Barrett, Flemington School; Ezra Kingi, Liam Daley and Finn Tennent, Waipukurau School. Absent: Patch Tennent (out with injury), Flemington School, and Max Winlove and Alby Donald, Waipukurau School.

If you ever want to know what it’s like to walk 21km on a hot day wearing gumboots, there are nine young Central Hawke’s Bay boys who can fill you in on the details.

The group of 10 primary school “Mates” are from schools in Waipukurau, Takapau, Flemington, and one in Havelock North, and they decided to do the walk as a fundraiser for Gumboot Friday.

Gumboot Friday, founded by mental health advocate Mike King, is a free counselling service for any young person in New Zealand aged 25 and under.

Mates team captain, Year 7 Waipukurau Primary student Finn Tennent, stated, “We are a group of mates fundraising for when a mate may need just a little bit more than a group of mates.”

Finn had been involved in last year’s fundraising for Gumboot Friday, helping make and sell chopping boards and selling flowers from his parents’ farm. That raised $300, which he wanted to beat this year. He came up with the idea to walk 21km in gumboots and his mates were more than keen to get involved.

Dean Winlove lets passing motorists know what the Mates’ 21km walk — in gumboots — is all about.

They started a Givealittle page, with a lofty goal of raising $1000 in sponsorship, and they plotted out their 21km course, starting at the layby under Pukeora Hill at 8.30am, walking along the stopbank to the Waipukurau bridge, then along the pathway between Waipukurau and Waipawa and back, finishing at Russell Park.

Arriving at Russell Park in Waipawa on the day of the walk, however, they realised they were just short of their 21km target and had to put in a quick lap of the playing field before they could kick off their sweaty Red Bands and get into recovery mode.

There were a lot of blisters, and some gumboot runs to the back of tender calf muscles, but they were still in high spirits.

The best part, though, was learning they had smashed their $1000 fundraising goal, bringing in a whopping $3418 for Gumboot Friday.

The Mates are so blown away by the success, they have promised to do it all again “bigger and better” next year.