Back to page

The Great Barrier 100km Challenge - let's make a splash and support St John this March!

  • The date has now been set!!

      20 March 2021

    On Tuesday 23 March, the quintet will be leaving Tryphena, in Great Barrier Island, at about 11am to swim all the way to Takapuna Beach. The team anticipate that it will take around 24 hours to complete the challenge. They will act as a relay team, swapping in for one another at different times of the swim and through the night.

    With only a few days left until kick off, Rick Wells who is leading the swimmers, says he is looking forward to the mental and physical challenge of swimming from Great Barrier Island to Takapuna. Check their performance and watch the live event on the link upload in their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/greatbarrierchallenge.

    The swimmers and St John are feeling so much love for the Team and their challenge with the current total amount raised sitting at $238,799 👌 This is made up of Give a Little page donations and the balance from sponsorship and direct donations.

    Remember every cent raised goes towards purchasing the Volkswagen First Response Units so please do what you can! Please keep supporting the Team by spreading the word to all your contacts!

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • It's official, the $176,000 needed to pay for the first FRU has been reached!

      8 March 2021
    Main image

    Thank you to over 600 generous donors and our amazing sponsors, we have now raised over $200k!! This will enable St John to put the first FRU on the road!

    These 4WD vehicles can negotiate difficult terrain in rural areas of New Zealand. With your help we are ensuring that we have the emergency vehicles and equipment we need to be ready to respond to calls for help, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and as rapidly as possible.

    PS: Lockdown and the weather are not playing favourably for the swimmers, this means that the Challenge will have to be postponed until after the America’s Cup. That’s fine with us, our priority is the safety of these guys! Let’s wait until the perfect conditions arise.

    Keep supporting the guys by:

    • spreading the word: share the Challenge on your social media, let family and friends know about it!

    • opting in to boost your gift by donating your tax credit back to the cause via TaxGift

    • Follow them on www.greatbarrierchallenge.co.nz

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment

  • Great Barrier 100km Swim Challenge breaks $100,000!

      3 February 2021
    Main image

    There is nothing more valuable than community support. A heartfelt thank you to Karim, David, Rick, Ian and Richie who are making the choice of being extraordinary by taking on this challenge!

    A huge thank you also to their families, friends, sponsors and to everyone who is contributing to the challenge, your donations all go a long way.

    This year St John must find funding for 37 ambulances, 7 First Response Units and 2 Command Units, among other emergency equipment, to keep being there for Kiwi families. Your gift will help St John provide our first responders with the vehicles needed to save the lives of those in our community. This is a gift that keeps on giving!

    Let’s keep backing these guys to achieve their $500,000 goal. We welcome any support, including simply spreading the word! You might also like to know that you can claim tax deduction on your donations of up to 33.33%, or you can choose to boost your gift by donating your tax credit back to the cause. For more information go to taxgift.co.nz.

    Thank you and kia kaha Aotearoa New Zealand.

      0 comments  |  Login to leave a comment