Local girls exceed their fundraising goal

Fun Run organisers Leah Quinn (second from right) and Lola Fitzpatrick (right) with their last year teacher Emily Nash, and Quinn siblings Neve and Declan, who supported them on the run.

Best friends Lola-Mae Fitzpatrick, 11, and Leah Quinn, 11, spent one of their last days of the school summer break doing good for their community.

The pair ran 3.9km from Matariki Lodge to Whittaker St, Kihikihi, Sunday morning to raise money for Bowel Cancer NZ.

Collectively, the girls have raised $2719.75 to date, which surpasses their initial goal of $1000.

The pair planned and organised the fundraiser themselves in October after a facetime call.

Raising money for Bowel Cancer NZ is important to them as they have both had grandfathers die from the disease.

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world, and it is the second-highest cause of cancer deaths in the country.

The friends want to raise awareness of the disease within the town and hopefully with others.

As soon as the page was set up, the girls almost reached their goal on the first night, says Lola.

Kelly Quinn, Leah's mother says: "You can see from the amount donated by each person how much cancer touches everybody. People donated more because cancer has affected their family in some way."

Bain Liquid Disposal donated $1000. Owner Bruce Bain lost his parents to cancer and grandfather to bowel cancer.

The girls' Year 6 teacher from their last year at Te Awamutu Primary School, Emily Nash, supported the girls by running alongside them.

Leah Quinn and Lola Fitzpatrick on their Bowel cancer fundraising fun run. Photo / Supplied

"I definitely enjoyed it, but it was challenging," says Lola. "But my brother Kaea Hepburn and my teacher pushed me through it."

Lola and Leah are very thankful to the community and sponsors for helping them exceed their money goal.

They have the fundraising bug now and plan to do more fundraisers and runs for Bowel Cancer NZ.

They are also going to participate in Purple Day on March 26 to raise awareness for epilepsy.

Lola and Leah's fundraiser is still open – to support their cause go to bowelcancernz.grassrootz.com/create-your-own-event/leah-lola-s-fundraising-team