Mini trip raises mighty amount for child cancer

The travellers Mike and Lynne Budden with Woodville Vision President Vicky Tomlinson, Ian and Gio and support driver Lu outside the Windfarm Cafe'; in Woodville almost half way to Bluff.

Pic 2: BTG010321MT2 Caption: Inside the café Sero Aumua contributes to the cause.

Pic 3: BTG010321MT3 Caption: Lynne and Mike at Bluff.

By Dave Murdoch

Raising money to help fight child cancer in New Zealand after a 3-year old relative fought and recovered from the disease has kept Mike and Lynne Budden of Woodville pretty busy over the past year, none more so than the past two weeks.

After selling firewood, building a shed and running a monster auction they decided on a sponsored trip in a Mini from Cape Reinga to Bluff to raise awareness and money to fight this cruel disease.

Lynne and Mike at Bluff.

Exhausted but thrilled with their experience they have just returned close to their $20,000 target after the sale of the trailer that delivered the Mini to the start and from the finish of their safari.

The journey has been very good from the perspective of meeting people – the very friendly Northlanders at the start of their journey to the equally kind Southlanders at the end, the patient but resigned passengers on the Cook Strait ferry as they waited 14 hours at sea until the winds abated before they could get into Picton on the way down and the generous people everywhere.

When they dropped into Woodville on February 15 they met locals two of whom - Ian and Gio - were the grandparents of the young relative whose cancer journey started theirs.

A mechanical hiccup on the way down the South Island was overcome and the trip is now a memory to be treasured.

If you still want to contribute to make certain the $20,000 target for the NZ Child Cancer Society is reached feel free to donate to the We Do Care Child Cancer Fundraiser Account 03 0614 0563414 001 putting your name as a reference.

Last word goes to Woodville Vision chairwoman Vicky Tomlinson who commented on Monday: "Wonderful Woodvillians do it again".