Father's Day Funquest raises over $1000 for Lynmore Playcentre renovations

Tom Sheppard, 6, in action at Funquest. Photo / Supplied

Dads were on a mission with their children on Sunday, exploring the forest to find mystery activities and checkpoints at the Father's Day FunQuest.

The event run by Lynmore Playcentre raised more than $1000 in entries and $180 in raffle tickets for kitchen, office and storage renovations.

Lynmore Playcentre member and event organiser Erin Swanson said it was wonderful to raise money in a way that brought the wider community together.

"The dads really enjoyed doing something fun and active with their kids - many of them said to me at the finish line that it was such a great thing to do as a family," Swanson said.

"We even had runners going past buying raffle tickets – it was awesome to see people contributing to help us, but also getting so much out of it. There was real community spirit.

"A highlight for me was seeing so many local families getting out and exploring our fabulous Redwoods area. Everyone said they had a blast and many commented that they went on tracks they had never been on before.

"It was also inspiring to see the strength of our Playcentre community, with so many members pitching in to make the event a success."

Covid-19 level 2 protocols meant the FunQuest was safely run with a steady stream of participants across the morning staggered and spaced out through registration to finish.

Around 130 children participated, getting Whittakers chocolate and a sticker at the end.

Participant Dan Phillips and his father Laurie said the event was their favourite part of Father's Day.

"It was so nice to get out of the house first thing in the morning to go exploring in the forest. The kids ran like crazy to the checkpoints and they were so excited when they found them," said Phillips.

"The mystery activities were also cool, with the magnetic fishing their favourite. All the Playcentre mums on the stations were really engaging and lovely with the kids too."

Lynmore Playcentre president Hayley Bowen said it was such a buzz to see tamariki of all ages participating - some on shoulders, biking, running or in prams.

"Before departing our station, families would come together to read the map and decide on the next route to find a checkpoint - in most cases, tamariki were leading the way," Bowen said.

"By allowing families to choose their own routes, the experience could be as long or short as they liked. Some families stuck to the mystery activities and closer checkpoints and those that were more competitive and experienced at orienteering tried to complete the 20 checkpoints and four mystery activities.

"This was a first-time experience for many and we had a lot of wonderful comments about how much families enjoyed it."