GETTING DIRTY FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Rotarians are always willing to get their hands dirty to help a good cause, but this year Rotary Club of Drury Secretary Trish Hayward decided to take it to the extreme!
With the generous support of her fellow Rotarians, Trish competed in the Bergen Tough Guy ‘n’ Gal Challenge on July 8 to raise money for the SPCA. This challenge is a six kilometre Army-style assault course colloquially known as the Mud Run – and for good reason.

Trish splashing through the mud in the Challenge

It’s a fun run held over the boggiest terrain to be found at Helensville’s Woodhill Sands Equestrian Centre, north of Auckland, New Zealand. Slogging through thigh-deep swamps, scrambling up muddy slopes, crawling under barbed wire and traversing natural and man-made obstacles were all part of the fun.

The Rotary Club of Drury, friends and family supported Trish’s effort, and raised $735 out of an overall team total of $18,721 for the animal welfare charity. SPCA Fundraising Coordinator Catherine Davies said “this is an incredible result and we are very grateful to all involved.”

Trish’s training for the event consisted of runs through bush trails in the Hunua Ranges, with her willing Labrador companion Eric making sure that there was no slacking. It was hard work being out in the winter weather sometimes, and she returned from one training run soaked to the skin from a sudden downpour.

Fortunately when Challenge day dawned, the skies were blue.  Trish had a lot of fun despite getting covered in mud and ending up pretty stiff and sore the next day!

She was proud to help support the SPCA, and grateful for the generosity of her fellow Rotarians in making her efforts worthwhile.