Fall victim's rehab gets $13,000 boost

Tanya Black

About $13,000 was raised at an auction to help Tanya Black, the woman who was paralysed from the waist down after falling down some stairs just before Christmas.

The weekend auction, organised by the owner of Auckland's La Zeppa restaurant and bar, Mandy Lusk, attracted about 150 people.

On offer were fine wines, holidays, and restaurant dinners, to help pay for Ms Black's care at a rehabilitation centre in Te Awamutu and possibly treatment at a spinal cord centre in San Diego.

Where there is wine there is romance and this was reflected in spur-of-the-moment additions to the items for sale.

"There was a girl I didn't know who put herself up for auction to go on a date," Ms Black said. "She got about $400.

"A friend of mine then said, 'I can get more than that'. So she got $600. $1000 for two dates. That's not bad.

"There were some amazing vintage wines, and a trip for four to Karikari Peninsula to play at the Carrington golf course, and people were paying crazy amounts of money.

"It will buy a lot more rehab, and it was fantastic of them all to do it."

Ms Black said many old friends she had not seen in years had attended the auction.

Ms Lusk also owns Vivace, just down the road from the wine bar Ms Black co-owned, Winos on Lorne, which closed after her accident.

Some companies had donated money, rather than items for sale, including Galbraith's Alehouses, which gave $2000.

"Quite a few people who didn't know Tanya turned up, because they wanted to help and they were all very generous," said Ms Lusk.

Money from the bar takings would also be used to pay bills.

Ms Black had worked in the wine industry in Europe as well as New Zealand, and friends in London have been seeking sponsorship to cycle the tough 187km Alps leg of the Tour de France on July 10 to raise funds for her.

The same cycling team - Team Mule Bar - raised nearly $60,000 for cancer research in 2004 when they rode the Tour's longest stage.