Relay for Life 2022
By Michael Ferguson
On Friday 8th April, our year 13 students walked around the school field from 9am-9pm. This event would normally be held in Kensington, Whangarei, but due to COVID it was unfortunately cancelled this year. However, our school community decided to not let this stop us and came together to Relay our Way at school. This led to a smaller event than in previous years but it did allow our local community and year 7-12 students to also get involved.
Our day involved students and staff taking part in zumba, a frozen t-shirt contest and an inter iwi and Year 13s vs staff tug of war. Year 7-12 students and staff joined the team running, jogging or walking the track. ran, jogged and walked the track, contributing to our total of 5923 laps which worked out to be 2,073.05 kms. - what an amazing effort. Congratulations to Caleb, who walked 152 laps and to Michael and Natalia, who walked 172 laps (60km+) each.
At 3.30pm students went home and our year 13s and staff were joined by local community members and groups including Maungaturoto Fire Brigade, Otamatea Hawkes and the Kaipara Marchers.
As the sun set we continued on. Names of those lost were written on the remembrance tree and candle bags created by our school students were placed around the track highlighting the impact of cancer and raising awareness and funds to research and fight the disease.
We continued to walk the track, enjoying burgers generously provided by the Rapid Relief team with all proceeds going to the team fundraising.
Later in the night the Otamatea High School Kapa Haka group held an amazing performance prior to all walking the lap of remembrance. This lap was a time to reflect on those that have been lost to cancer and those who are fighting this terrible disease.Thank you to the OHS PTCA for providing the solar lights that lit the track which made for a wonderful atmosphere. Early next term the candle bags and tags from the remembrance tree will be buried in school grounds and a tree planted.
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the organisation of Nikki Donaldson, who put hours of work into making this event possible, along with Billie and Sarah, who each helped to lead the effort and ensured it could go ahead. Also all those that helped on the day: Natasha from Northland Cancer Society, Mr Blake who MCed events and kept us all hyped for 12 hours, Mrs Parsons, who spent all day with the students walking around the track, as well as running the raffle stand at the Four Square during lunch and interval, Richard Reed who worked setting up the track and field and assisting with pack up and Taira Phillips, who was a machine, organising raffles and getting sponsors.
Many thanks to the businesses who donated prizes for our raffles and supported us as we fundraised for Northland Cancer Society: Bammas Mangawhai, Lees Beauty Mangawhai, Kaipara Landscape, Certified Customco Kaiwaka, Tessa Hunter, 818 Ink, Otamatea High School Food bank, Wilson Hellaby, Maungaturoto Four Square, Kaiwaka Four Square, Te Ha O Te Oranga O Ngatiwhatua, Hirepool Whangarei and the Three Furlongs.
We have raised $8800.00 to date with further funds to come in over the next week - another amazing fundraising effort from Otamatea High School for the Northland Cancer Society.
