Mount challenge raises $73K plus

Tauranga Women’s Refuge manager Angela Warren-Clark is thrilled with money raised by the MORE FM Mount Everest Challenge. File photo.

The absolute final number is still being tallied, but locals have raised more than $70,000 so far in the recent MORE FM Mount Everest Challenge.

This year all of the funds will go to Tauranga Women's Refuge, who are the third local charity to be chosen as recipients of the event's proceeds.

Previously Homes of Hope and the local surf lifesaving clubs benefited from the generous community donations, raised by people attempting to climb Mauao 38 times in 50 days – replicating the distance climbers of Mount Everest must cover in the same timeframe.

MediaWorks Tauranga general manager Belinda Francis says the response this year was very strong.

'We had well over 500 participants, with more than $73,000 raised, plus some cheques that went straight to Women's Refuge. It's nearly double last year's amount raised for Homes of Hope, which was $44,000.

'In total we've raised more than $200,000 over three years from people climbing the Mount.”

While individuals always do well – including one woman who climbed it 50 times in 50 days – many local businesses also get involved.

'Lots of workplace teams get involved, with businesses getting behind them. The partners at Holland Beckett promised to put $200 towards the cause for each of their staff who completed the challenge, for instance,” says Belinda.

She says the idea for the Mount Everest Challenge came about out of a desire to raise money in a way unique to Tauranga.

'The initial motivation behind the challenge was as a way of supporting local charities while incorporating everything we love about the Bay – it's fun, it's healthy, it's the Mount, sunshine, and community,. We're a big city, but we still do things in a small-town way.”

Tauranga Women's Refuge manager and Bay of Plenty Labour candidate Angela Warren-Clark says last time she checked, the Givealittle page showed $74,105 raised by 230 fundraisers.

'It's amazing – our best fundraiser ever.”

They intend to spend the money on a project called ‘He Iti Pounamu', which Angela says means ‘you are small, but precious'.

'All the funding will be going towards our children's services, particularly our child advocate position. She is employed 30 hours a week, so this money will help cover salary and the resources required to deliver programmes to child witnesses of domestic violence.”

She says they're very grateful to all those who took part in the impressive physical challenge and made financial contributions.

'We're funded for 16 children by the Ministry of Social Development, but last year we worked with 102 children in the safehouse alone. So we absolutely rely on public donations.”

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