Chica's 'red car' legacy drives on

Another bright red car from Rural Women NZ will help lift spirits of children and young people in the Hamilton district.

Rural Women New Zealand this week presented a second car to Hospice Waikato's Rainbow Place.

The car will be used by nurses and therapists to travel to families coping with grief and loss due to serious illness or the death of a loved one.

Rukuhia branch spokesperson Janet Williams says the group presented the first car to Rainbow Place last year, thanks to fundraising by Rural Women members and a generous bequest from a treasured former member, Chica Gilmer.

Now Chica Gilmer's estate has made further funds available to present another car to Rainbow Place, the children and young people's arm of Hospice Waikato.

Both cars were coincidentally presented on International Day of Rural Women.

"Children expecting a visit from a Rainbow Place nurse or therapist can look forward to seeing the cheeky bright red cars, sporting the number plates 'Chica' and 'Gilmer'," says Janet Williams.

The second car will also mean shorter waiting times for families to see a therapist or nurse, who travel hundreds of kilometres each month throughout the Waikato, King Country, Thames and Coromandel.

Both cars have been supplied by Jim Wright Nissan, who has come up with generous deals on the new Nissan Micras.

The keys were presented at Rainbow Place on Monday, which was the International Day of Rural Women.

This United Nations' day honours the important contribution women make to rural life.

Penny Parsons, manager of Rainbow Place, says the Rainbow Place team is very grateful.

"We just want to say a huge thank you, not only on behalf of the staff, but also on behalf of the children, young people and their families who we now visit, and those we will be visiting in the future.

"It is the support of our local community that enables us to carry out our work with children, young people and their families going through 'tough stuff'."