It was a full house on March 3 when an audience of 250 people were entertained by a stirring address from former All Black Captain Wayne (Buck) Shelford. Organized by the Rotary Club of Taumarunui, NZ the theme of the evening at the Cosmopolitan Club focussed on men’s health, and there were many women present to see that their men got the message!
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| Buck Shelford with then Taumarunui Rotary President David Partis (left), and Project organiser Simon Bradley (right) |
Buck was a member of the 1987 All Black team that won the inaugural World Rugby Cup in Auckland, and he became a successful All Black captain. He subsequently discovered he had cancer, the only symptom being a weeping eye, so it took some time to diagnose the problem.
Buck explained at length the processes he undertook to overcome the cancer, the way he dealt with losing the 40 kilograms of surplus weight he gained, and stressed how important a healthy diet, exercise and discipline is to maintaining good health. He now is an ambassador for several charities in the health field.
In an entertaining Q & A season, Buck talked predominantly about rugby.
Auctioneer Alan Hiscox successfully wheedled cash from guests by selling signed rugby balls at exorbitant prices, and with generous sponsorship from local businesses, a profit of $10,000 was raised.
The funds were distributed to sponsor four locals in the Sky Tower Stair Challenge (supporting Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Research), and the Taumarunui Hope Charitable Trust.
This is a classic example of what goes round comes round!
More information: www.taumarunui.rotarysouthpacific.org
More information: www.taumarunui.rotarysouthpacific.org
