Social riders club give funds from anniversary to children's ward for PJs

Two nurses at the children's ward at Whanganui Hospital were thrilled to receive the pyjamas from the West Coast Riders.

A Whanganui motorcycle club has raised money for and donated more than 100 sets of pyjamas to the children's ward at Whanganui Hospital.

The West Coast Riders is a social motorcycle club that raises money at each of its anniversaries for a chosen cause.

"Each year we have a bit of a do out at Languard's Bluff," said club member, Chris Malcolm.

"We normally have somewhere between 200 and 300 people turn up. We feed them and entertain them and then the proceeds from that we give to a charity that we think are fitting.

"Last year we did the Westpac Rescue Helicopter ... this year we decided to look at the children's ward at the Whanganui Hospital."

He said they wanted to contribute something to the children's ward and approached one of the nurses for advice.

"That's where they came up with the idea of the pyjamas. It means there's now going to be 111 kids that are going to turn up that wouldn't normally have pyjamas that can feel comfortable and special.

"There's a lot of kids that can't afford the simplest things like pyjamas."

The club collaborated with The Warehouse in Whanganui to buy $900 worth of pyjamas, which totalled 111 sets.

Malcolm said he was blown away by the good work done by the nurses on the ward.

"On top of that those nurses ... if you've never been up there they do an amazing job there in that ward," said Malcolm.

"It'd be a bit scary for a young kid going in to get an operation or something done and they really make it a nice environment for these kids."