Road trip in a Mini - for a major problem

Steve Priest (left) and Marcel Van der Park face extra tasks such as ice-bucket challenges and hot laps along the way on their trip.

Two blokes hope to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer in two-week trek down the country.

As part of an epic 3600km road trip, two Kiwi blokes will be soaked in icy water, do hot laps, fight paintball battles and even play a spot of 20/20 cricket, all in the name of charity.

In Kerikeri yesterday Steve Priest and Marcel Van der Park started their two-week nationwide roadie to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer with some words of motivation from 1970s entertainer Ray Woolfe. The pair are stopping at Corys Electrical's 44 stores around the country, with Mr Priest driving a mechanically fine-tuned and re-decorated 1975 Austin Mini they bought on Trade Me especially for the journey.

Mr Van der Park is trailing him in a campervan because "he's too tall to drive the Mini", says Mr Priest.

At each stop they and other Corys Electrical staff will undertake a list of tasks including several ice-bucket challenges, hot laps, paintball battles, meetings with sports stars and a 20/20 cricket match in Dunedin before they end their roadie with beers and pizza at their final destination in Queenstown.

"At first it sounded like a good idea but I'm not too sure about these ice-bucket challenges, having already done one," said Mr Priest.

He said as they both deal mainly with men in the electrical industry they decided to raise funds and awareness of prostate cancer, a disease that kills more than 600 New Zealand men every year.

"Guys are really bad when it comes to health, even if they're not feeling well they don't tend to go to the doctors as often as they should. Two years ago we raised $22,000 and last year we got a bit more organised and co-ordinated and raised $35,000 but this year we are hoping to raise more than $50,000."

Mr Priest said the pair had originally planned to do a length-of-the-country tour on scooters but had second thoughts.

They pulled out of a Goodbye Pork Pie theme because of rights issues around the film but stuck with the idea of driving a Mini.

"It's mechanically sound because it has to last 3600km and the rest," said Mr Priest.

Both Mr Priest, 50, and Mr Van der Park, 49, have been tested for prostate cancer and have been given the all-clear from the disease one in 10 Kiwi men are diagnosed with each year.

Prostate cancer occurs most commonly in men over 50 and is the third most common cause of cancer death in men after lung cancer and bowel cancer.

After the trip, on September 29, the Mini will be sold on Trade Me in a $1 reserve auction with all the proceeds going to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand

People wanting to make a $3 donation can text blue to 2447.

nzherald.co.nz
For more coverage of Blue September, go to: tinyurl.com/blueseptember

Prostate cancer
The symptoms of both benign enlargement of the prostate gland and malignant tumours (cancer) are similar and can include any of the following:
• Difficulty passing urine.
• Passing urine more frequently than usual, especially at night.
• Pain when passing urine.
• Blood in the urine (this is not common).
• Occasionally, these symptoms may be due to prostate cancer.
• If you have any of these symptoms it's important to get them checked by your doctor.
Source: cancernz.org.nz