Wanted: Young muscle to join woodchoppers’ record-breaking fundraising drive

The Kerikeri Woodchoppers have so far raised a whopping $330,000 for life-changing eye surgery across the Pacific. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A Northland woodchopping group that has raised record-breaking sums for charity is calling for fresh members to join its chainsaw gang.

While the Kerikeri Woodchoppers aren’t short of members — more than a dozen turn out once a week to collect, chop and deliver firewood — advancing age means they’re running out of volunteers strong enough to saw up donated logs.

Since 2008 the group has raised a whopping $330,000 for the Fred Hollows Foundation, a New Zealand charity providing life-changing eye surgery around the Pacific for the past 30 years.

The woodchoppers have raised more for the cause than any other group in the country.

Every Thursday morning the “A team” heads out to chainsaw donated logs into rounds, which are then taken to their Inlet Rd base by tip truck, split with a hydraulic log splitter, and allowed to dry. Other volunteers deliver the firewood to 400 customers in the wider Kerikeri area.

Founder member Mike Collins said he joined the group when he was 62. Now he was 77 and his plus-sized chainsaw was getting too heavy to handle so young blood was needed — or at least new members who were fit and strong.

As well as raising money for a good cause, the group took downed trees that might otherwise be burnt on site and put them to use for heating.

“Plus we’ve become a bit of a community, so we’ve got to keep going.”

The current volunteers were aged in their 60s through to their 80s and came from as far away as Kāeo.

Yvonne Hooper joined with her late husband 15 years ago. Now she was retired she could lend a hand every Thursday.

“I really enjoy it. It’s outside, it’s physical, it’s a nice atmosphere and it’s my way of giving to the community. I don’t have money to give but I can give my time.”

Pete Cleghorn and Yvonne Hooper load up a ute with firewood ready for delivery. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Brian Stewart, 82, said he liked the “get in there and get it done” philosophy of the Fred Hollows Foundation.

“And it keeps me fit. We all have different skills and different backgrounds here, but we all get on really well.”

Brian Stewart, 82, operates the log splitter. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The woodchoppers have also supported Kerikeri charities MEND, which supplies prosthetic limbs and recycled hearing aids to the developing world, and FINKK, which helps families in need across the Mid North.

The Fred Hollows Foundation has so far provided 81,000 sight-saving operations and more than a million consultations across the Pacific.

■ Email Mike Collins on okuraplantation@gmail.com if you can help.

About 20 volunteers form the core of the Kerikeri Woodchoppers. Photo / Supplied