Hairy legs, pale legs, knobbly knees, dry skin, extra padding on the calf muscles – maybe even some untrimmed toenails or smelly feet.

It will be all on show at offices and workplaces around the Western Bay of Plenty during June.

And what about the actual shorts? Khaki, pink frilly ensembles, boardshorts of various designs, Hawaiian and maybe even a few cheeky daisy dukes?

Yes, the Shorts 4 Hospice campaign ‘Dare to Bare' is back this month to raise funds for Western Bay of Plenty's Waipuna Hospice, which supports more than 4000 people every year by helping them face an often heart-wrenching end-of-life journey – both for patients and their families – at no cost.

So once again the hospice is challenging the bravest of the brave to dig out their brightest, boldest, and craziest shorts and support them.

Participants of Shorts 4 Hospice simply sign up online, set a fundraising goal, then start their fundraising journey, asking friends, families and colleagues to support them by donating to their cause.

Everybody

Craigs Investment Partners area manager Hayley Nelson is encouraging their 260 Tauranga-based head office and advisory staff to start digging in their wardrobes to have a pair ready for June 22 – the shortest day of the year.

Hayley says Craigs have been long-time supporters of Waipuna Hospice and take part in the shorts challenge every year. Who is she inviting to participate? 'Everybody,” says Hayley. 'We've invited the entire Craigs Investment Partners Tauranga team to get involved in the fundraiser by wearing shorts to work.”

Why does Craigs get behind this fundraiser? 'I think most of our people would have had some contact with hospice, or gone through that end-of-life experience with people and really value the work the hospice does in our community of helping people when they really, really need it.”

Dare board

To up the fundraiser's ante, Waipuna Hospice is challenging participants to take on their Dare Board – a series of 12 challenges encouraging participants to wear their shorts while daring to climb the Mount, take a dip in the ocean, discover Hairy Maclary and his friends, or grab a pic with their own favourite furry friend. Every dare comes with its own donation goal – the riskier the dare, the more participants are encouraged to raise.

Waipuna Hospice fundraising executive Wayne Bloxham wants people get really get creative with their fundraising. 'We want to see people out on the streets of Tauranga in their shorts, snapping pictures of themselves completing our dares at iconic locations and then passing on the challenge to others.”

Life is short!

The shortest day of 2023 falls on June 22, and Shorts 4 Hospice participants and the wider community are encouraged to celebrate by wearing shorts – because while life is short, Waipuna Hospice is all about celebrating life, right until the end.

'As a charity, all Waipuna Hospice services are provided at no cost to patients and their families, but to be able to do this and support our local community, we need to raise $7.5 million this year,” says Wayne.

'By daring to bare and signing up to participate in Shorts 4 Hospice, you'll be helping Waipuna Hospice, and your community.”

To sign up, visit: https://shorts-4-hospice-2023.raisely.com/ or call (07) 552 4380 ext. 211.