Gala dinner raises thousands

Dan Carter with wife Honor Carter and Gemma Flynn and Richie McCaw. Photo / Photosport

Kind-hearted Kiwis dug deep into their pockets at Wednesday's gala iSport dinner, donating more than $200,000 to the charity headed by three of our favourite All Blacks.

Duco Events director David Higgins told the Herald on Sunday iSport - the brainchild of Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Ali Williams - would receive $220,000-$250,000 from the event at Auckland's Vector Arena, attended by 1000 people.

The figure comprised money raised in a series of auctions and anonymous donations.
The top-selling auction item was a "once-in-a-lifetime long lunch" for six with McCaw on Sir Michael Fay's Great Mercury Island. The trip raised $36,800.

Flights to the UK, A-category tickets to the Rugby World Cup final and a lunch with Williams went for $32,000. A trip for two to Paris, including a long lunch with Carter, sold for $18,500.

Higgins said teaming with iSport had been a great initiative. The charity helps fund aspiring Kiwi athletes whose sporting ambitions could be curtailed by a lack of funds, offering grants to cover travel, equipment and competition costs.

Higgins said it was great to see McCaw, Carter and Williams giving back to the younger generation.

He said the trio were blown away at the fundraising achievements of the gala event.

"I have worked on about a dozen dinners with rugby themes and it is very hard to raise over $200,000 mark. So this was a great result," Higgins said.

"The audience were generous and their donations were warmly received. The feedback was great and everyone seemed happy."