The Anniversary Garden Amble in Wanganui on Wellington Anniversary Day drew more visitors to more gardens this year and Faye Bullock of Arthritis NZ said the day was a wonderful success.
"We had two extra gardens on the itinerary this year and Ed Boyd provided entertainment for the male participants at his place with his 'men's shed' of vintage delights and David Orr, who is our regional representative, surpassed himself with his organisational ability this year.
"I think it is good timing to have it on the Monday because most of the other vintage weekend events are held at the weekend. It is a nice way for people to round off the long weekend after the noisier events, and the feedback we got was fantastic."
The annual fundraiser has been an event on the Wanganui calendar for 15 years and visitors, who paid $10, were not charged extra for the two bonus gardens this year.
"We haven't done a final tally yet but I know we raised more than we did last year," Mrs Bullock said.
Arthritis NZ has responded to the results of a recent Infometrics report which said 420,000 New Zealanders provided unpaid care for friends or family. Chief executive Sandra Kirby said 40 per cent of New Zealand's 578,000 arthritis sufferers relied on friends and family to help with their daily needs.