Red Lippy and Gumboots, made up of Michelle Simpson (left), Hollie Howland and Bex Lintott, have organised Breast Cancer Foundation fundraising events in Halcombe. Photo / Sonya Holm
Red Lippy and Gumboots, made up of Michelle Simpson (left), Hollie Howland and Bex Lintott, have organised Breast Cancer Foundation fundraising events in Halcombe. Photo / Sonya Holm
Pink gumboots are on parade in the centre of Halcombe as the rural community gives cancer the boot.
Events are being held over two weekends to raise money for the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s Pink Ribbon Appeal.
Brownies and Brews is on Mother’s Day, May 14, and two weeks later on May 27 at a local tavern will be Halcombe Gives Cancer the Boot, an event jokingly called Bubbles and Boobs meets Beers and Balls as the lads are allowed this year.
The trio behind the fundraisers, Bex Lintott, Hollie Howland and Michelle Simpson, formed Pink Lippy and Gumboots in 2020 as a pick-me-up during lockdown.
Sick of wearing only active wear or pyjamas all day, they encouraged others to wear frocks and gumboots, take a photo and donate to Pink Ribbon.
The successful fundraiser was followed in 2022 by Bubbles and Boobs at Halcombe Tavern, which raised more than $10,000.
Feedback was that blokes wanted in, so this year the trio has expanded the fundraisers to be family friendly.
The first event offers brownies and a cuppa for mum on Mother’s Day on Sunday at Halcombe Memorial Hall, and will be accompanied by the family drawcard Hot Wheels in Halcombe with 30 classic cars on display.
Beers and Balls at the local tavern will be a fun night of coming together for a good cause.
As a small community with a population of about 530, they all know someone who is either on the cancer journey or has been on the journey.
“There’s quite a few members of our community who have battled with that,” Lintott says. “And a couple we’ve lost, quite recently too.
“Everybody knows somebody affected by it.”
The month-long fundraiser is an event the whole community is supporting.
“We couldn’t do it without them. They’re the ones getting behind us,” Simpson says.
The cook at the tavern, (Lintott’s sister-in-law), is making the brownies, the decorative gumboots were made locally, and Wildly Understated – “our very clever earring maker based in Palmy” – is making gumboot earrings for sale.
Michelle Simpson, Hollie Howland and Bex Lintott in the centre of Halcombe. The boots represent those who have battled cancer, and you can have a boot dedicated to a loved one. Photo / Sonya Holm
Last year’s fundraiser went beyond their dreams, but this year they wanted to shift the focus away from money to “bringing people together”.
“This year people are really hurting. So that’s why we thought we’d make it so that people can still partake and feel like they’re contributing,” Lintott says.
With that in mind, the trio have teamed up with Hire a Housewife to collect goodies for paper bag pamper packs, to enable more direct support.
Paper bags are being circulated to Hire a Housewife clients, who are invited to fill them with goodies to be distributed to people on their cancer journey.
Tickets for Halcombe Gives Cancer the Boot on May 27 are $20 (this is an R18 event). There will be a “booby prize” raffle on the night where you pop a balloon for the chance to win something special.
Brownies and Brews is on Sunday, May 14, and the $20 ticket gets a coffee, brownie and a mystery gift.
Hot Wheels at Halcombe, also on Sunday, is entry by gold coin donation and the trio are bringing along pink gumboots from last year for any extra donations.
“We’ll take them down and people can put coins in them as well – fill your boots,” Lintott says.
To purchase tickets to events, buy earrings or participate in the paper bag pamper collection, contact Pink Lippy and Gumboots via its Facebook page.
