Graeme Montgomery from the Cambridge Prostate Cancer Support Group, and Claire Gard, National Operations Manager for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand, hand over a certificate of appreciation to one of the main organisers of the Leamington fishing contest, Shane Kerr.
The Leamington Rugby Sports Club handed over $4000 to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand recently, raised through the club’s annual fishing contest in February.
It was a massive step up – over double in fact – from last year’s event which raised $1950 for the organisation.
“We’re just thrilled to bits,” said Claire Gard, National Operations Manager for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand (PCFNZ). “We receive no government funding at all, so everything we do is through the likes of (the Leamington Rugby Sports Club) that go out and fundraise for us.”
Last week Claire presented the club with a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the organisation. “This is our way of saying ‘thank you’,” she said.
Leamington club member and one of the main organisers of the event, Shane Kerr, credited the generosity of those who took part in the fish auction as the main drivers behind the success of this year’s event, in addition to the 200 anglers which took part and the many local businesses that donated prizes.
The Leamington Rugby Sports Club Fishing Contest is held on the second weekend of February each year, where contestants fish from the sea anywhere around the country and meet on the Sunday afternoon for a final weigh-in, prizegiving and auction of the fish. Originally the proceeds went towards child cancer, though with some members of the club being affected by prostate cancer in the past, PCFNZ has been a recipient of the fundraising for the last four years. Next year will mark the ten-year anniversary of the event.
