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Please send me to WYD 2016! I'm ready, I just need your help to get there.

  • So this is the end (of this donation page), in a few hours time...

      19 June 2016

    Wow, just wow.

    After depositing a cheque on Friday, that was donated to me from the out-going Chairwoman of our Board of Trustees (amazing as I don't really know her well), I have received OVER HALF of the amount I asked for!

    To date, with just over 24 hours to go on this Givealittle page, I have received a total of $3215.50 meaning that I only have $3207.30 to go until I break even. I still have one fundraiser to go, a quiz night on Friday the 1st of July, so if you are interested in providing further support after this page is closed, please do make the effort to attend the quiz night or you could contact me through email or Facebook about WYD.

    Thank you once again and SO MUCH to all the lovely people who have donated to this cause. I truly feel that you have invested in the future of my community and that New Zealand as a whole will reap some benefit for my trip to WYD. I will do my best to serve you, both as a representative over there and once I return by more effectively working to make a positive difference in the lives of those I have the privilege of knowing and getting to know, particularly the young people who will be the positive-change-makers of the future.

    God's blessings on you all.

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  • Getting close now - yesterday was 6 weeks until departure...!

      31 May 2016

    I am pretty amazed by all that's happened so far. Certainly not as straight forward as one would wish, the set backs have made me question whether I'll get there in the end, but it has made those little victories even sweeter. Thank you to the lovely couple from Christchurch that donated directly into my bank account (so I can't recognise them on my donations page) - I met the wife when she visited Hokitika the same day that I did and their donation appeared the following day! Given that she lives outside of the West Coast (and is not related to me), she is not likely to directly benefit from this so her kind words and financial support were totally unexpected.

    Currently my total received is $2960.50, so the amount I am still seeking in order for me to break even with the costs of flights, accommodation, transport around the countries over there and activity fees over there is $3462.30 (remember for all admin costs in the lead up to it, any additional meals not covered in the pilgrimage plan, and of course any souvenirs, I have paid / will pay for them myself - I have not included them in the total as I wouldn't expect anyone to pay for my incidentals like that, I am just hoping that the basics will be paid for).

    In addition, I just want to draw people's attention to a fundraiser that I'm holding next week: a quiz / trivia night next Friday (10th of June) here in Greymouth. I realise people's Friday nights are precious but if you can make it along to it in the evening (even better if you can get your own team together), it should be a fun (and mildly competitive) way to help support me so I encourage you to join us! I will try to get some decent prizes by then, as well as organise a raffle or silent auction (depending what I can get hold of...)

    [EDIT: THE QUIZ NIGHT FUNDRAISER HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL 1ST OF JULY - THIS GIVEALITTLE PAGE WILL HAVE CLOSED BY THEN BUT PLEASE CONSIDER COMING ALONG FOR A FUN WAY TO ADD TO MY FUND.]

    If you are following my progress, thanks for your time, hopefully this update hasn't been too long or boring. It is pretty exciting to me, to be so close to halfway towards having the trip paid off and having received so much support so far. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started out and hopefully we will finish strong!

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  • A big donation received, thanks so much, still a long way to go though.

      11 April 2016

    I received a large donation from my local church community so I'm very happy and thankful and now, altogether I'm over a third of the way there but I couldn't add that donation to this page because I am not receiving it personally - it is getting paid straight to the group that is organising the trip on our behalf.

    I don't think I can change the total that I'm asking for on this page part way through the cause, so I just wanted to update everyone that I'm now only asking for a new total of $4423 (a further $3998 at today's date).

    I've received so much encouragement. It feels so good to have people believe in my cause and be willing to "put their money where their mouth is" to help send me, please keep up the good work with donations if / when you can afford to! Or if you have an idea and can help by fundraising on my behalf by clicking the green button on the right that says 'Help Fundraise', or you could send me fundraising ideas by the 'Q&A' link near the top, all of that would be much appreciated. I'm going to keep trying too (I've got a few ideas for fundraisers).

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