Clubs rally to hospice cause

Rotorua's Rotary clubs hope to raise more than $50,000 for the Rotorua Hospice at this year's marathon. Among those taking part are Rotary Club of Rotorua Sunrise's Deb Bell, left, Don Gunn and Sue Gunn. Photo / Ben Fraser

There will be a separate race happening on marathon day but it won't be about who can be the fastest.

The five Rotorua Rotary clubs have teamed up to raise $50,000 for the Rotorua Community Hospice endowment fund but there's secrecy among them as to how well their efforts are going.

The five clubs - Rotorua, Rotorua North, Rotorua West, Rotorua Sunrise and Rotorua Lakes - have been challenged to see how much money they can raise and how many of their members and associates they can get around the 42km course.

Runners and walkers are being sponsored and have been challenged to raise $1000 each.

Project leader Deb Bell said this was the 50th Rotorua Marathon and an ideal opportunity.

She said the five clubs had already contributed $10,000 each and they wanted to increase that to $100,000 overall to create an endowment through the Geyser Foundation.

"There's an ultimate goal and it's a philanthropic one," she said.

"It's a legacy. This shows the generosity and the manaakitanga of our community.

"We're so connected in Rotorua. Other centres don't have that heart for their local organisations. This event will have the largest service organisation and community collaborative effort and when the going gets tough we'll be able to think of why we're doing it."

This is Ms Bell's 11th Rotorua Marathon. Among the Rotary Club of Rotorua Sunrise members and associates are first-timers, people running and others walking. They will also be manning the drink station opposite Skyline Rotorua with 20 volunteers. Among them will be club president Sue Gunn, who had to pull out of the half marathon due to injury.

"People in the club who aren't participating have picked up the responsibility of helping others with sponsorship," Mrs Gunn said.

"I've been really impressed - when you start talking to people and they say they are running they want to do it for hospice. They feel they have got a purpose."