Pride of NZ: Scooter trip aids cancer sufferers

By Monica Holt

NZ Herald·

2 Sep, 2014 05:00 PM2 mins to read

Jayne and Mike Rattray started a movement which has raised $600,000. It all began with a few bros hitting the road. “The idea came about in 2009,” Jayne explained. “The boys at Air NZ Engineering Services in Christchurch bought scooters off Trade Me and thought they would nurse them.” A mission from Christchurch on the east coast to the West Coast at Hokitika? Why not. Cars do the trip in less than three hours; the scooters take eight hours. “While the boys were planning it, one teammate was diagnosed with bowel cancer. We thought, What can we do to help? Hence the Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari was born in 2009.

It started as a "boys' weekend" in 2009, but has grown into a major fundraiser.

The Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari is the brainchild of Canterbury couple Mike and Jayne Rattray, who have raised more than $600,000 from four events.

The biannual event sees 250 sponsored participants ride motorised scooters 250km between Christchurch and Hokitika in a day.

Mr Rattray, an engineer at Air New Zealand, did the trip in 2009 for fun with a group of friends who had bought scooters off Trade Me. That week one was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

"We thought, why not turn it into a bit of a fundraiser? And the idea snowballed from there," Mrs Rattray says.

It is now so big that 600 riders pre-registered for this year's May event, but numbers are capped at 250.

"Some are cancer patients themselves. We have had nurses come with us on the day as people going through chemo want to do it."

Mrs Rattray, a graphic artist and marketing consultant, and mother to two children, aged 7 and 8, looks after the promotion and registration while her husband oversees safety and traffic management.

They were nominated for Fundraiser of the Year by two-time entrant Anthea Terris.

Voting is now open for the TSB Bank People's Choice Award. The Herald will profiling each of the 24 national finalists. Voting closes 11.59pm on September 7, with the awards to take place on September 10. Decide who you think is the most deserving. You are only able to vote once, so choose wisely. You can register your vote here.

* For more awards information, visit: prideofnzawards.co.nz.