A Far North fitness group have walked over 2500km and raised over $2000 for Whangārei children's charity Kind Hands. The group, led by Opua-based OutFit North personal trainer Nadine Amsler, hiked numerous walking tracks around the country, including many in Paihia, Kerikeri, Russell and Cape Reinga, for this year's Classic Builders' 90 More Miles Challenge. The event, held throughout March, raised money for the Kind Hands respite care cottage, which offers respite care for children aged under six who have a disability or are medically fragile. Participants run, walk or skip the equivalent of Ninety Mile Beach anywhere they wish. Amsler's team clocked up 2653km, with member Johnny Coulter walking 213.44km and his partner Mairead walking 193.12km. Altogether, they raised $2151. Amsler said not only did the challenge inspire people to get outside in the rain, wind or sunshine, "it created an awesome community of walkers seeing each other out there carving up the pavement". This year a total of $28,275 was raised during the event, up from last year's total of $25,408.
Kitten homes sought
The Kaitaia SPCA's staff and volunteers are up to their armpits in kittens, and are hoping that numbers will reduce significantly after Saturday's kitten adoption day at the Kaingaroa Hall. All the kittens will have been de-sexed, microchipped, vaccinated and treated for worms and fleas. Those who wish to take one home will need a suitable cat cage (some will be available at the hall), and will pay the reduced fee of $60 (no eftpos). Beverages and biscuits will be available. Earlier this week the kitten muster in Kaitaia had reached 31, Heather Smith said, including nine that volunteer Trevor Nicholls was fostering, alongside the four rescue cats that had moved into the Nicholls home on a permanent basis. Thirteen kittens had gone to Thames, and four dogs and five puppies had gone to Auckland, but the situation remained near crisis point, exacerbated by the recent arrival of eight four-day-old puppies that had been abandoned in two batches in Parkdale, in Kaitaia, and another litter that was dumped in the Herekino Gorge.
Meanwhile the Kaitaia branch is looking for someone to fill a paid part-time job, 20 hours per week, and a volunteer who can give two or three hours one morning a week.
Trevor was particularly keen to see someone put their hand up for that, saying that after 10 years of SPCA volunteering in Whangārei and Kaitaia he needed to give more time to other commitments.
