Some men resorted to trickery in their efforts to win the title of Mr Whanganui on Thursday night.
There were reports of bare-chested firemen giving women "firemen's lifts" and letting children climb on fire trucks, surf lifesavers giving away sausages and one man having a public waxing, out in the street.
The winner of the Mr Whanganui crown, Wanganui Chronicle general manager Andy Jarden, is rumoured to have offered women foot massages if they contributed to his chosen charity. He raised nearly $1200 for Wanganui's Parkinsonism Society.
There were 32 men in 32 shops during late night shopping from 6pm to 9pm. Each was collecting for a charity, and the one who collected most became Mr Whanganui.
A total of nearly $8000 was donated to the charities.