Z Service Station sites in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato are going yellow to help raise money for the Dream Chaser Foundation.

The foundation was set up by Whakatane couple Keri and Ryan Topperwein in memory of their three-year-old son Chace who passed away on June 15, 2012, after a 15 month battle with leukaemia.

Chace's Cafe Lynette, left, with Chace's mum Keri. Keri and Ryan created Dream Chaser in memory of their son.

Chace was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia on March 14, 2011 and at the beginning of 2012 was given only months to live.

He underwent treatment for the disease including travelling to the United Kingdom for drug treatment.

There was also hope of a second bone marrow transplant, but unsuccessful drug treatment meant it was no longer an option.

Chace passed away at home with his parents by his side.

Z BOP retailer Dave Gillies says this week is Sunshine week in memory of Chace.

'Our team at the Z Whakatane site have gotten to know the Topperwien family and have helped fundraise while Chase was having treatment for his blood disorder.

'As a result we have formed a bit of a relationship and we have a number of charities in the Bay of Plenty we support and Dream Chase is one of them.

He says the Dream Chaser foundation is having a whole lot of activities running at Starship through the week, starting today. There will be different activities for seven days.”
Dave says the whole thing is themed yellow for sunshine week.

'Our sites here in the Bay of Plenty and those in the Waikato, we are donating 50 cents per cup of coffee sold through our coffee sites to the foundation. We expect it to be a fairly significant sum.

'In addition, we are dressing our sites up and going yellow for the week. Out team members will be wearing Dream Chaser t-shirts and pretty much letting lose on the sites as far as theming the sites.”

As well as the 50 cent donation, Dave says staff will be asking customers if they would like to donate to the foundation.

'We encourage people to come in and buy a cup of coffee so they can donate 50 cents to the organisation.”