Ambassadors going red for a cure

LOCAL Cure Kids ambassadors Riley Winiata and Anneliese Leamy-King. PHOTO: KARLA KARAITIANA

Three Cure Kids ambassadors are painting the town red as they support Red Nose Day events being held across the city.

St Peter's College students Anneliese Leamy-King, who lives with type 1 diabetes, and Riley Winiata, who lives with chronic asthma, are working alongside College Street School pupil Kase Williams, who lives with Cystic Fibrosis.

They are busy promoting the charity and its associated Red Nose Day at their schools and in the community.

Red Nose Day is Cure Kids' main fundraising event and is vital in supporting research to find cures and improved treatments for serious health conditions.

These include child and adolescent mental health, stillbirth, child cancers, obesity, inherited heart conditions and autism spectrum disorders, among many others.

"New Zealanders can have fun while helping to support vital child health research led by New Zealand's greatest minds," Cure Kids chief executive officer Frances Benge said.

"With this generosity, Cure Kids has been able to fund research which has helped thousands of children to live longer, healthier, happier lives."

Anneliese and Riley shared their stories at a school assembly before holding a Red Nose mufti day on Friday, raising $1160 for Cure Kids.

Anneliese's mum Margaret said she was proud of the teens for getting up in front of their peers.

"The whole place was silent, you could hear a pin drop. It was so brave for the two of them to tell their stories in front of 600 students but it was a real eye opener for the students in our school, which was great."

This year Red Nose Day will be held on Friday, September 29 and two giant red nose logos will be placed on The Square Clock Tower, which will also light up red that evening.

The Red Nose Family Fun Day will be held in The Square the following day from 11am to 3pm. The Red Walk will be held at the Hardie Street Reserve, walking along the Bridal Track, on October 1 from 10am.

There are 5km and 10km options and every registration is a direct donation to Cure Kids.

Event organiser and mum to Riley, Laurel Winata, said her wish for the walk was that all children supported by Cure Kids would see Manawatu was walking beside them for a cure.

"People come along dressed up in red and have so much fun! Some of the Cure Kids team, along with Cure Kids CEO Frances Benge, will be walking with the ambassadors."

For more information see curekids.org.nz or rednosefamilyfunday on Facebook.