On the road for MS: Charity banger rally to stop in Gisborne on Wednesday

David Jefferd (left), Jack Harper, Hamish Williams and Belinda Girling-Butcher arrive at Bluff in the 2024 Bangers to Bluff rally.

Teams in the charity rally Bangers to Bluff, which raises money for multiple sclerosis, are stopping off in Gisborne on Wednesday.

Participants will be shown some local hospitality at Turihaua Station, followed by a visit to Mātai Research Medical Institute in Gisborne.

Bangers to Bluff, run by the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay, requires teams to drive a vehicle (registered and with a current Warrant of Fitness), costing less than $2000, or even “donated”, from Auckland to Bluff, with the official finish at Invercargill.

Angela and Hamish Williams, from Turihaua, will be hosting the crew on their way into Gisborne after a stay at Wharekahika/Hicks Bay as they travel along State Highway 35.

Hamish Williams took part in the 2024 rally and said it was a fantastic experience.

While the rally is not a driving competition, there is a trophy and several “surPrizes” along the way.

Banger points are awarded for things such as the car’s country of origin – for example, a European car gets more points than a Japanese car, and any car not mentioned on the “country of origin” list gets more points than the rest.

Points are deducted for things like breakdowns, punctures and late arrivals.

The Williams’ daughter, Belinda Girling-Butcher, who took also part in the rally in 2024, suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS) and is part of a research group at Mātai.

The research aims to help people with their recovery and management of the disease, and is looking into the causes of MS.

“There will be a gathering at Mātai at 3pm, where a couple of MS clinical RNs [registered nurses] will be available to chat with anyone with concerns or questions,” says Karen Whitehead, field officer for MS Society Gisborne and East Coast.

There will also be a talk about the research being done into MS at the institute.

The convoy of vehicles will be parked in the Mātai field in Childers Rd.

This is the 18th year the fundraising rally has taken place.

The rally starts at Half Moon Bay in the eastern suburbs of Auckland.

Each year it takes a different route through the country. This year, the cars will go around the East Cape, stopping at Wharekahika/Hicks Bay.

To make a donation, go online to the Bangers to Bluff page at Givealittle. As of yesterday morning, $24,469 had been raised.

Some of the Bangers to Bluff cars parked up at Tolaga Bay on the way to Bluff via Gisborne in 2024.

Some of the funds raised will go to Rotary youth and community causes.