Rotorua team excited to bring smiles and funds in Pork Pie Charity Run

Barbara Burr collecting donations - as a group they collected about $380 at Eat Streat. Photo / Supplied

There will be many minis putting smiles on faces around the country as their owners raise money for KidsCan.

Rotorua's Peter Bjarnesen, Mike and Barbara Burr, and Kevin and Keri Hollamby are all participating in the Pork Pie Charity Run 2021 again this year, together with 47 other teams.

The Pork Pie Charity Run raises funds for KidsCan, and will loosely follow the route taken in the iconic 1980s movie Goodbye Pork Pie from Kaitaia to Invercargill.

The teams start in Paihia today and finish in Invercargill on Wednesday, stopping at several locations along the way.

Kevin and Peter were tasked with taking over organising the Charity Run four years ago.

Kevin's Pork Pie car was built specifically for this run in 2015.

It was designed to resemble the car as it arrived in Invercargill at the end of the original movie - no doors, bonnet, guards or boot.

Peter and Kevin first participated in 2013 and have been doing so as a team ever since.

This year Keri is joining Kevin, and Peter has his son-in-law Josh along for the ride. Mike and Barb have been on the last three runs.

Kevin and Peter say each year they enjoy getting out and meeting like-minded people - both people with a love of minis and with a love of fundraising for organisations.

They say they have always had a passion for these kinds of cars.

"It's also seeing the smiles on faces everywhere we go. All the minis put a smile on people's faces."

They say KidsCan is a great cause to get behind because there are a lot of kids out there doing it tough, and despite the fact these hardships can come from all sorts of causes, it's not the kid's fault.

"We can make our society a better place and KidsCan is starting at the grassroots."

All of the teams are still currently fundraising for KidsCan and close to $200,000 has already been raised.

"If everyone donated just $1, imagine how much we would be able to raise for KidsCan."

To donate to the team and help them raise money for KidsCan, go to porkpie2021.gofundraise.co.nz.