Waikato Herald
  • Waikato Herald home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Lifestyle
  • Lotto results

Locations

  • Hamilton
  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Matamata & Piako
  • Cambridge
  • Te Awamutu
  • Tokoroa & South Waikato
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Weather

  • Thames
  • Hamilton
  • Tokoroa
  • Taumarunui
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Waikato News

Te Awamutu mates set for 100km-plus fundraising walk

Bethany Rolston
Bethany Rolston
Te Awamutu Courier·
10 Mar, 2019 09:50 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Not just any old stroll around a lake. Made with funding from NZ on Air.

Two Te Awamutu mates are in the final stretch of preparing for their massive fundraising event this weekend.

Ollie Ward and Gerard Dorssers are walking around Lake Ngāroto for 24 hours to raise money for two local families.

The pair has been training for the last few months, gaining blisters, fitness and community support as they clock up the kilometres.

Te Awamutu mates Ollie Ward (left) and Gerard Dorssers are walking around Lake Ngāroto for 24 hours this weekend. Photo / Supplied
Te Awamutu mates Ollie Ward (left) and Gerard Dorssers are walking around Lake Ngāroto for 24 hours this weekend. Photo / Supplied

They will set off at 8am on Saturday, looping around the lake 17 times before finishing the same time the next day.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It will be about 102km of non-stop walking, with supporters sponsoring the men for the extreme feat.

Gerard says they have been blown away by the money raised so far.

Te Awamutu mates Ollie Ward and Gerard Dorssers will walk around Lake Ngāroto for 24 hours to raise cash for two struggling families. Photo / Hunter Calder
Te Awamutu mates Ollie Ward and Gerard Dorssers will walk around Lake Ngāroto for 24 hours to raise cash for two struggling families. Photo / Hunter Calder

"We've had to move the fundraising goal post," he says.

"We were hoping to raise $6000 but so far we're heading towards $7500.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We believe that if the community continues to get behind us, we'll hit $10,000 before the end of the weekend," he says.

The men have the support of 21 major sponsors so far, who have given money, clothing and shoes.

Te Awamutu mates Gerard Dorssers (left) and Ollie Ward are gearing up to walk around Lake Ngāroto for 24 hours. Photo / Bethany Rolston
Te Awamutu mates Gerard Dorssers (left) and Ollie Ward are gearing up to walk around Lake Ngāroto for 24 hours. Photo / Bethany Rolston

One sponsor has requested the pair walk around the lake in their underwear — which Ollie admits he's looking forward to.

"I'm definitely looking forward to this lap due to how free we will feel," Ollie says.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Big-hearted mates have 'silly ideas' for good causes

10 Feb 08:30 PM

Incredible: Auction raises $33,000 for Te Awamutu Special Olympics swimmers

06 Mar 08:15 PM

Design for Pirongia junior playground confirmed

06 Mar 08:52 PM

Give Huggable Hearts a helping hand

10 Mar 10:17 PM

"I think I might pick Gerard some undies to wear on the day."

The men are fundraising for the families of 50-year-old Steve West, who has motor neuron disease, and 11-year-old Dayton Harding, who needs stem cell treatment to combat his autoimmune disease.

The men are hoping to attract a crowd of supporters at Lake Ngāroto over the weekend, with the public invited to join in on a loop around the lake on Saturday at 10am.

To make a donation, get in touch with Gerard on 027 505 4008 or Ollie on 027 290 9268 or donate to the bank account 12-3134-0093023-04.

For more information visit Gerard and Ollie's 24 hour Walkathon on Facebook.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Waikato News

Sport

Dutch sprint camp lifts Waikato 400m hopeful and coach

05 Jan 04:00 AM
Waikato Herald

Blue Springs visitors warned after unsafe parking continues

05 Jan 12:55 AM
Premium
Waikato Herald

Small Business: The best of the wurst with Frank’s Sausages

04 Jan 10:00 PM

Sponsored

The Bay’s secret advantage

07 Dec 09:54 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Waikato News

Dutch sprint camp lifts Waikato 400m hopeful and coach
Sport

Dutch sprint camp lifts Waikato 400m hopeful and coach

Sonia and Maddie Waddell trained at a Dutch Olympic sprint camp in South Africa.

05 Jan 04:00 AM
Blue Springs visitors warned after unsafe parking continues
Waikato Herald

Blue Springs visitors warned after unsafe parking continues

05 Jan 12:55 AM
Premium
Premium
Small Business: The best of the wurst with Frank’s Sausages
Waikato Herald

Small Business: The best of the wurst with Frank’s Sausages

04 Jan 10:00 PM


The Bay’s secret advantage
Sponsored

The Bay’s secret advantage

07 Dec 09:54 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Waikato Herald e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Waikato Herald
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP