Vaughan and Erin McNabb celebrate after completing their 2400km journey from Cape Reinga to Invercargill in support of KidsCan. / Supplied
Vaughan and Erin McNabb celebrate after completing their 2400km journey from Cape Reinga to Invercargill in support of KidsCan. / Supplied
Following a two-week journey across Aotearoa in their little red Mini, Wairoa couple Vaughan and Erin McNabb have returned home heroes after raising over $40,000 for KidsCan and earning the “Spirit of the Event” award at the 2025 Pork Pie Charity Run.
“Exhausted...but we survived,” Erin told Hawke’s Bay Todayjust 24 hours after returning home and heading straight back to work.
Vaughan is a butcher and Erin is a registered nurse at Wairoa Hospital.
They joined 49 other teams in this year’s Pork Pie Charity Run, driving 2400km during the road trip which recreated the iconic route from the Kiwi film Goodbye Pork Pie.
The couple raised $40,912 for KidsCan and contributed to a national total of $460,240 as of this story.
The money will help provide essential food, clothing, and health products to children across New Zealand, including support for the 110 schools and early childhood centres that KidsCan partners with in Hawke’s Bay.
The event challenges participants to rally donations for KidsCan while navigating everything from wild West Coast weather to tight convoy schedules and, in the McNabbs’ case, the occasional marital negotiation over driving duties.
“But when he got a headache, I drove for about a day and a half in the South Island. It was cool.”
Married for 40 years, they joked about surviving the extra challenge of 336 hours together in a small car.
The pair started fundraising in September after securing their spot in the sold-out event.
“We didn’t realise how big this was going to get for our region, in Wairoa,” Vaughan said.
A fitting moment on a colourful journey: The red Mini under a rainbow during the Pork Pie Charity Run.
Their Mini, emblazoned with sponsor logos, drew attention all the way down the country.
But it wasn’t just the car that stood out. Their energy and community efforts earned them the “Spirit of the Event” award.
KidsCan’s CEO Julie Chapman said Vaughan and Erin reflected the ethos of the run.
“They threw themselves into fundraising, with raffles, barbeques, and sponsorship, and took time to visit local schools with their Mini.”
The Wairoa couple were awarded the “Spirit of the Event” at the Pork Pie Charity Run prizegiving ceremony.
The pair documented the journey on Facebook and were known for their enthusiastic updates from roadside radio interviews to unexpected pikelet-making pit stops in strangers’ kitchens on the West Coast.
“The camaraderie on the trip was incredible,” Vaughan said.
