Kiwis take part in special Oxfam Trailwalker in Taupō to raise funds for families living in poverty
Over 1000 people set to challenge poverty at Oxfam Trailwalker this weekend
People of all ages and fitness levels from across the country will be up bright and early this Saturday morning, gearing up to converge on stunning trails in Taupō to challenge themselves and challenge poverty at Oxfam Trailwalker 2015. The event begins at 6am on Saturday morning and concludes around 7pm on Sunday evening.
Teams of four will walk – or run, if they’re keen – a full 100 kilometres in less than 36 hours, all to help Oxfam raise vital funds to support its work with communities living in poverty in the developing world.
The trail takes walkers through some of New Zealand’s most spectacular scenery, including Huka Falls, native bush and stunning views across Lake Taupō. And this much-loved New Zealand event is marking its 10 year anniversary with an Autumn festival that features an impressive line-up of home grown talent.
Cornerstone Roots, Batucada Sound Machine, Jesse Sheehan and DJ R.I.A will be performing at a free, all ages, day long festival on Sunday March 29th alongside the Oxfam Trailwalker finish line at the Tongariro Domain in the centre of Taupō.
There will also be performances from a world champion kapa haka group, local Taupō artists and food and drink stalls. Combined with the excitement of the finish line, the event promises to be buzzing.
Oxfam New Zealand’s Events Manager Zeb Stone explains: “Oxfam Trailwalker is a huge event and given the support of donors, team support crews and local volunteers, more than 80,000 Kiwis have been involved over its ten year history. 2015 will also see Oxfam Trailwalker’s 10,000th participant take part. This year’s event features a new trail and a big goal: to raise $1 million to help people in the Pacific rise out of poverty.
“I’d like to thank Kiwis from four corners of the country who are coming together to complete an epic challenge for a good cause. It takes real guts and a whole lot of training to complete the course and it’s really inspiring to hear some of the participants’ stories. Plus, it showcases regional NZ at its best: the whole of Taupō gets out to support the event with a troop of local girl guides monitoring one of our checkpoints, hundreds of local volunteers and numerous Taupō businesses backing us,” says Stone.
Oxfam Trailwalker is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. But it’s also about the dramatic difference it makes on communities in the developing world. Money raised means communities in the Pacific and Southeast Asia are able to build clean water supplies, families can grow more food, women are protected from violence and children are given the chance at an education.
Throughout this weekend, people can keep track of each team’s progress and follow the live blog at oxfamtrailwalker.org.nz.
The concert is proudly supported by Taupō District Council, Moa Brewing Company, Sileni Estates Winery, and More FM.
