Town turns pink for breast cancer charity walk

Pāuanui got behind the Pink Walk for breast cancer on Saturday. Photo/Al Williams

Hundreds of people put on their walking shoes for a fundraising effort that turned Pāuanui pink for a day.

Pāuanui breast cancer survivor Jodie Hurst was among those behind the return of Pāuanui Pink Walk on Saturday.

It was the second year for the event, with entry numbers almost double the inaugural 2023 walk as 350 walkers hit the streets in aid of the Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Those that organised the inaugural event last year were able to recognise the steps and processes needed to pull off the event and were therefore able to distribute the workload for this year and the years ahead,” Hurst said.

“I am also a breast cancer survivor, so this is a cause I am always going to get behind.”

As with most Coromandel towns, Pāuanui suffered a major downturn when they were essentially cut off by the Kōpū-Hikuai slip, Hurst said.

In recognition of the losses communities had endured, Thames-Coromandel District Council offered a business recovery fund, something that needed to be applied for and it needed to be shown businesses had suffered losses as a result of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Having met the criteria and being granted funding, a committee of Pāuanui residents created three events to help inject people, and ultimately money, back into the community, Hurst said.

“The sun was shining and there were smiles aplenty on the morning as Pink Walk participants gathered to start their 5.5-kilometre trek.

“Pāuanui village centre could only be described as a sea of pink with pink balloon garlands adorning the shop fronts and 353 eager participants gathering in the carpark.

It was a sea of pink in Pāuanui on Saturday.

“Men, women and children of all ages donned their pink, with attire ranging from the subtle to the not so subtle, and it was apparent the think-pink memo had been received by all,” Hurst said.

The amount raised is yet to be confirmed as the community involvement saw businesses running their own fundraising promotions alongside the event.

After the walk, participants gathered at the Pāuanui Club for a prizegiving ceremony.

“The attendance was almost double the first year so organisers see this as an event that will continue to grow, and the organising committee have confirmed that the event will be held again in 2025.”

While Pāuanu businesses wanted to encourage people to the town, they also wanted to help a charity, Hurst said.

“So, it was a win when the Pāuanui Pink Walk was dreamt up, all proceeds go directly to Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, and extra people in town put money in the pockets of local businesses.

“The event is family-friendly, not a race, a gentle ramble around Pāuanui and even better, is in support of the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ.”