KEY POINTS:
Brightening the lives of children suffering from life-threatening illnesses kept an Air Force squadron on the run for more than 40 hours this week.
Runners from Ohakea's maintenance support squadron ran in a relay from Whenuapai airbase in West Auckland to Ohakea to raise money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
Cheered on by children who have benefited from the charity, they set off on Tuesday.
Running in shifts and sleeping in vans, they expected the 532km journey would take about 54 hours. But they arrived at 7am on Thursday after just 46 hours.
The charity grants about 150 wishes a year to boys and girls aged 3-17 with life-threatening illnesses.
The group's leader, Sergeant Ian Richards, said they had raised several thousand dollars and generated awareness of the foundation's new donation phoneline - 0900 I WISH.
Sergeant Richards recently moved to New Zealand from Britain, where he organised several similar charity relays.
"You can see that it's making a difference, and all the guys could relate to that, and it made it easy."
The foundation's national office manager, Dale Nelson, said it was delighted the Air Force had approached staff with the idea.
"It was a wonderful gesture."
To donate,
phone 0900 I WISH. www.makeawish.org.nz
