A 12-litre bottle of 2005 Reserve Merlot has been donated for auction by a well-known Hawke's Bay winery and motelier to help a former Central Hawke's Bay woman's fight against lung cancer.
Tarsh Stanton has been accepted for one of only 75 positions for the Tarceva drug trial in Melbourne,
a treatment which researchers believe could stop tumours from growing.
But the costs of flying across the ditch over the next year for the 37-year-old mum and a carer are hefty - in the vicinity of $60,000. That had prompted a fundraising effort by family and friends.
Ms Stanton's aunt, Gaye Watson, said the group set out to ask businesses around the North Island for donations for an auction to be held on November 6.
One of the few which replied was The Mission Estate, Taradale, which had donated the 12-litre bottle of wine for the auction. It would also feature a label for the bottle which showed Ms Stanton's insignia, a butterfly tattoo, which she, her best friend and family had designed.
Mrs Watson said the family was "very thankful" for The Mission's donation.
"Tarsh was born in Palmerston North but she lived in Waipukurau for most of her life, she attended primary and secondary school there," she said.
Ms Stanton also lived in Flaxmere for a time but returned to Palmerston North with her children to be closer to family and friends.
Mrs Watson said The Mission's chief executive Peter Holley had made contact with her initially to offer the large bottle of wine.
Ahuriri's Bluewater Hotel owner Rodney Green had donated the bottle and its presentation box to The Mission three years ago to be used for a worthy initiative.
Mrs Watson said Mr Green had also donated a weekend holiday for two, for the auction.
She said Mr Holley had no personal connection with Ms Stanton but had been in a similar situation in the past when he supported a worker in her fight against cancer.
In 2007, an auction was held to help pay for cancer treatment for Kate Mooney, wife of Mission Estate winemaker, Paul Mooney.
Ms Stanton's auction will be at Barber Hall, Palmerston North, on November 6.
