Awhi Hollran and her son Tyson Hollran, 13. Photo / Andrew Warner.
Awhi Hollran and her son Tyson Hollran, 13. Photo / Andrew Warner.
A mammoth fundraising effort has tallied an impressive result made all the more extraordinary by the tough economic times the event was held in, its organiser says.
The annual Rotorua Supper Club fundraiser was held this week raising $138,803 for Ronald McDonald Family Retreats.
The fundraiser sees 50 tables ofeight people attend an auction of donated prizes at Novotel Rotorua before the 400-odd attendees disperse to 50 bars and venues around Rotorua for dinner. All of the restaurants donate their time and meal costs for the cause.
The money raised goes to the upkeep of the Ronald McDonald Family Retreats on the shores of Lake Rotorua. The retreats are used by families with very sick children, who have been through a hard time, or lost a child.
The two lakeside retreats at Ngongotahā are offered free to families. While in Rotorua, they are also treated to free or discounted tourism experiences.
“It’s a tough economic time out there for businesses and all people so for them to show such generosity - it’s even more impressive,” Parry said.
“The thing that makes my day is seeing the energy in the room. People are having a good, authentic time. You just want to bottle that energy.”
He said the event showcased Rotorua’s giving and generous people and even though the result wasn’t as high as 2022′s $143,000 effort, it was made more impressive by the fact there hadn’t been a car raffle which usually contributed to the tally.
This year an 11-day cruise for two on board the five-star Oceania Marina, experiencing the Mediterranean’s beauty from Rome to Istanbul. Travel agency Helloworld Travel Rotorua and Oceania Cruises was put up as an auction prize.
This was won by Paul and Barbara Stone, who bid $22,500.
Paul Stone said Supper Club was an amazing event and the trip has seemed like a great opportunity.
He said helping children who were unwell was a worthy cause to support.
During the auction portion of the event, Awhi Hollran shared her family’s story.
Parry said there “wasn’t a dry eye in the house”.
Awhi lives in Kihikihi near Te Awamutu with her husband Alex and six of their eight children.
In early 2020 they noticed their son Tyson, who was 9 years old at the time, was tiring more easily in his touch rugby games, complaining of a sore back, and had white gums.
Happy faces as the grand total is announced at this year's Supper Club for Ronald Macdonald House Charity. Photo / Andrew Warner.
Just hours after a blood test they were told to take Tyson straight to Waikato Hospital. They were told Tyson may have a blood infection and needed to travel to Starship Children’s Hospital the next day.
At Starship more blood tests were run, and the next day Tyson was diagnosed with b-cell hypodiploid acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, Awhi said.
Tyson began treatment straight away and in July 2020 he entered remission. However, while doing a routine check near the end of his two-year treatment he found a lump and was diagnosed with b-cell hypodiploid isolated testicular relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a condition so rare that Starship had never seen it before, Awhi said.
Tyson began treatment in April last year and went back into remission in September after multiple rounds of chemotherapy and 12 rounds of radiation.
Ronald McDonald House Charities helped the family spend 22 weeks close to the hospital after Tyson’s relapse.
Awhi said fundraising events like Supper Club allowed families the opportunity to be with their sick children and the charity was “a godsend”.
Parry said Awhi and her family would be staying at the retreat in the future.
“Families kind of just get institutionalised for a while with hospital visits. It’s a snapshot of normality. The retreats are just stunning.”
He said the organising committee would meet to debrief at the weekend and “watch this space” for new ideas.
Ronald McDonald House Charities chief executive Wayne Howett attended Supper Club and said the funds would make a “significant difference” and the Rotorua community had been generous supporters of the charity.
“Events like these take a huge amount of time and effort to pull off and we tip our hat to everyone involved. Thank you for your generosity in supporting New Zealand families.”
Howett said the tally was an “outstanding result” and a display of “community spirit”.
“These are uncertain times with everything that’s happened in the last three years but the generosity displayed... was shown in that number.
“Just because there’s a cyclone or a pandemic it doesn’t mean kids stop going to hospital. These families are facing more heartbreak than normal and they need the type of support they can get from Rotorua Retreats,” he said.
“I’m humbly impressed by the support from the community, especially in these times.”
