Awards for riders who saddled up for child cancer

SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Nicki Main, who received an award for her fundraising efforts for the Child Cancer Foundation, with Lakes branch chairwoman Win Macmillan and Lakes and Bays region funding and development manager Delwynne Hahunga. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

They braved storms, had a horse run away on them and one got seriously ill after drinking fermented mare's milk - but now a group of three Rotorua people have been recognised for their fundraising efforts trekking through Mongolia on horseback.

Nicki Main, Bill Pomare and Cameron Lammas have raised more than $57,000 for the Child Cancer Foundation under the Canter for Cancer initiative.

They've just received the Child Cancer Foundation's community service awards to recognise their fundraising efforts over the past three years.

Local branch president Win Macmillan said the concept of doing something like a trek to fundraise was still relatively new in New Zealand, but was gaining popularity overseas.

The idea came about when Miss Main mentioned to Mrs Macmillan that she had always wanted to trek across Mongolia. Miss Main suggested doing it to raise money for a charity, and Mrs Macmillan had the idea of supporting child cancer.

Cameron Lammas, Nicki Main and Bill Pomare in Mongolia.

From there, there have been dozens of fundraising initiatives under the Canter for Cancer banner - from cocktail parties and charity auctions to women at the Cantabria Home and Hospital selling their knitting for the cause.

The group did their trek in July - encountering huge extremes in temperature, wolves outside their tent and storms.

Miss Main said the hours on horseback were tough - "the saddles were horrendous, it was like sitting on concrete" - but it was something she would do again.

"It was pretty tough but you just had to suck it up."

Miss Main said on one occasion one of their horses ran away overnight, and she's not sure it was ever found.

Three New Zealand children are diagnosed each week with cancer and money would be used locally to help families from the time of diagnosis onwards.