Kaputuhi Marae benefits from walkathon

Tu Tangata, Issue 16, 1 March 1984, Page 3

Kaputuhi Marae benefits from walkathon

A unique form of fundraising took place over the Christmas break with relay teams walking from Auckland 300 kilometres to their marae near Waitomo.

Family members of the Kaputuhi marae at Hangatiki in the King Country wanted to raise money for their small marae.

Organising the walk was difficult but a dedicated young group soon arose to plan the event, ‘the Kaputuhi Pa Support Committee, Auckland’.

About 40 walkers were organised into relay teams to walk for one hour at a time including during the night. They were backed up by a convoy of support vehicles.

The walk started on December 27 when the fittest participants ran the 45 kilometres from Swanson, west of Auckland to Aotea Square. There they were joined by the rest of the family and numbers swelled to about 200 as the walkers left Auckland. Sponsorship cards had been completed and every kilometre walked raised money. Donations also came in from passing motorists.

On December 29 after two sleepless nights and many blistered feet, the walkers reach Kaputuhi marae to be greeted by about 250 people.

For the walkers the sight of Kaputuhi Pa nestled in tranquility at the foot of Pukeroa evoked many a tear. For those who had gathered to welcome the walkers, the sight of 200 people coming closer to the marae was equally inspiring.

The orgainsers hoped that sponsorship of the 40 or more walkers would raise $20,000 towards renovations of the 36-year-old marae. It doesn’t look

like they’re quite going to reach their target, but marae spokesperson Georgina Marchioni of Hamilton said that by early January more than $12,000 had come in, with quite a bit still to come and that’s a commendable effort by anyone’s standards.

One of the walkers, Sandra Morrison said it was a journey back to their roots and many of the whanau met along the way for the first time. “We had all gathered because of our aroha for our marae and our maoritanga was strong. We walked to save it.” Tama Tu tama ora Tama noho tama mate.