Shearers to help cancer cause

Lloyd Holloway hopes shearers can raise $50,000. Photo / File

Shearers and woolhandlers are setting a target of $50,000 for a shearing industry cancer support fundraiser in which about 5000 sheep will be shorn on a Hawke's Bay sheep station in January.

From as far as Southland, a team of at least 20 of New Zealand's top shearers and woolhandlers will donate their day's earnings from the event on January 4 at Waitara Station, between Napier and Taupo - during which one team of shearers will be aiming to average at least 500 per shearer for the day.

But organisers of Shearing's Big Day Out are encouraging workers in other woolsheds throughout the country as well as other rural industries to also contribute to the cause with all funds going to the Cancer Society.

Organisers say those taking part are expected to include World shearing champion Rowland Smith, of Hastings, and fellow World record breaking brother Doug Smith, and 2012 World woolhandling champion Joel Henare, who is expected to travel from Central Otago for the day.

The Smith brothers' mother died from cancer, and Henare's mentor, multiple Golden Shears and World champion woolhandler Joanne Kumeroa, died from cancer last March.

Waitara Station owner and organising committee member Lloyd Holloway said the idea arose in a discussion with Flaxmere-based shearing contractor Colin Watson Paul and Pongaroa-based Heiniger shearing representative Tony Hoggard, of Pongaroa.

"We found it astonishing that the Cancer Society receives no funding whatsoever from Government sources ," Mr Holloway said.

"Like all sectors of society, the shearing industry has lost many of its members to cancer over the years, so we decided we were in a position to do something about raising some money."