Pink Fairy back on the beat: Liam Fontaine leads Hawke's Bay breast cancer walk

Liam Fontaine, dressed as a fairy, outside Arkwright's Dairy, which he chased a shoplifter out of in 2017. Photo / File

Two years ago Liam Fontaine managed to stop a would-be robber in his tracks, all while dressed in a pink crop top, pink tutu, pink fishnets and fairy nets.

While he wasn't catching bad guys this time around, the spotlight was exactly where he wanted it to be - on the Hawke's Bay Breast Cancer Trust.

The annual Tremains Pink Fun Walk drew a crowd of about 400, organisers say.

Fontaine grabbed national headlines in 2017, when he and then 14-year-old Napier student Michael McGeorge tackled and held down a man who attempted to steal from Napier's Arkwrights dairy.

The "Pink Fairy" had just completed the pink walk for the first time, in memory of his mother who died from breast cancer in 2013.

He joked that it was "quite relaxed" this time around.

Liam Fontaine (front) who made national headlines in 2017 as the 'Pink Fairy' led the 5km Tremains Pink Fun Walk on Sunday. Photo / Ian Cooper.

This year, he was asked to lead the 5km walk, with his older sister Kristel, and her family. Although, he wasn't wearing the infamous outfit.

"I couldn't get it back together this time. A lot of it fell apart," he joked. But the one he opted to wear meant that little bit more to him.

"I wore a T-shirt that we got made with my mum's name on the back and her birth date and departure date," the 25-year-old said.

She fought the cancer for five years before losing her battle.

He believes his mum would have been "proud as". "If she was there, she would have been beside me the whole way."

Fontaine said it was important to support events like this.

"It raises awareness so then younger people can know about it, so they can catch it earlier and maybe not have it as rough as my Mum did."

Organiser Paula Hadabora said it was a great day with a "really good turnout".

While she did not know how much had been raised from the event last night, she said the day was more about raising awareness for HBBCT so people knew there was a local trust they could donate to.

The event started at the Napier Soundshell with entertainment hosted by The Hits Hawke's Bay, free massages, judging of costumes, food, chalk art, face painters and a Zumba warm-up.

The Napier Pipe Band played while participants took off on the walk and there was entertainment dotted around the 5km course through Napier's CBD.

Prizes also went to the best-dressed male and female.