Help more children see that the only boundaries they face are those they believe are there

In 2015 SmileDial held our first Break the Boundaries events, each event was designed to take children with special needs to their boundaries and, with support, help them push through them. We took two children sky diving and a couple of months later four more children (and a parent each) were taken on a white water rafting weekend. The rafting event utilised specially designed harnesses which enabled two of the children (whose disabilities require full time use of a wheelchair) to partake in this event. This is the first time in the world children with this degree of special needs were able to go white water rafting.

In February 2016, we will be holding our third event so we can help more children see that the only boundaries they face are those they believe are there. Due to the success of the white water rafting event in 2015, we would like to provide this opportunity to another 4 children and a parent or caregiver each. We will be making some additions to next year’s event, one addition is a "survival" course. Each participant will be met at the overnight camp (after a full day of white water rafting) by a member of the New Zealand Military who will conduct an evening of survival training. Participants will need to forage for food including catching fish (or eels) for dinner and gathering edible foods from the surrounding countryside. They will also build their accommodation for the night (there will of course be tents and food available if required!), start a fire and prepare the food.

This event will show children with special needs they can do so much more than they and other people believe is possible. At the end of the weekend they would have pushed themselves to their boundaries and broken them, they will return home with a new found sense of accomplishment and pride.

The budget for this event covers transport from Christchurch to the rafting and camping location, all meals, hiring a rafting company, the hire of the special harnesses that make this possible and a team of helpers including 2 survival training experts. The cost covers all costs for the entire team including 4 children with special needs, 4 parents, 1 SmileDial representative and a trained medical helper.

The total cost for this event will be $5600.00 for 13 people total (4 children, 4 parents, 5 staff and helpers)

RAFTING COSTS $300 per person $3900.00

FOOD COSTS $100.00 per person $1300.00

VEHICLE HIRE AND COSTS $400.00

The team will include:

Kelly Dugan, SmileDialNZ Founder.

Peter and James, our survival experts and manly men type of hunter gatherers.

Jeeza Williams, the founder of Making Tracks NZ, a company that provides extreme activities to people with special needs.