Yesterday, Sunday, 10 January, over 150 families from Camp Quality and the Child Cancer Society gathered at Sancta Maria College in Auckland for the annual Fastway Couriers ‘Purple Heart Foundation Family Fun Day’. Developed to support local children’s cancer charity, Camp Quality New Zealand, the ‘Purple Heart Family Fun Day’ marked the first official day of the 2016 Auckland/Northland region Summer Camp Quality.
Camp Quality is a volunteer-driven organisation that has been operating for almost 30 years and is dedicated to enhancing the lives of thousands of young New Zealanders battling cancer, by offering annual summer camps, family days and social outings for the whole family.
The event was attended by over 550 people with a number of high profile guests also showing their support including: Nick Wilson, striker for the New Zealand Men’s National Field Hockey team; Cory Bennett, Black Sticks defender; Kevin Flanagan from New Zealand Baseball; as well as Guy Williams, comedian and television personality, who acted as MC for the event.
Mark Little, founder of the Purple Heart Foundation and Fastway Couriers Auckland General Manager says: “We’re thrilled to offer these kids a great start to Camp Quality and provide them and their families with an essential break from their cancer journey. We understand what these families have to go through each day after our daughter was diagnosed and underwent cancer treatment in 2009.”
“We launched the Purple Heart Foundation Family Fun Day to allow these kids to meet other children who will be attending Camp Quality with them in a day filled with fun and exciting activities. The Purple Heart Foundation is all about helping to improve the quality of life for kids living with cancer, by creating something they can enjoy and look forward to.”
The most popular event at the Family Fun Day was by far the XRACE – a family experience inspired by ‘The Amazing Race’ where parents and children work together to locate and complete a series of challenges, racing against the clock and all other teams. The fun didn’t end there with a jumping castle, climbing wall and many other exciting activities and giveaways.
Scott Jenyns, CEO at Fastway Couriers says: “We always encourage our team to get involved with their communities and to give back where they can. We’re truly inspired by Mark’s story and what his family have achieved over the years with the Purple Heart Foundation and its Family Fun Day. We’re thrilled to be able to support such a worthy cause and deliver smiles to these children in a day of great fun and excitement.”