Marlborough Vintage Car Club handed over $6805 to the Marlborough Cancer Society last week at Brayshaw Heritage Park, raised from its annual Daffodil Day vintage car show in August.
The club has been running the fundraiser for around 10 years, with vehicle owners donating $5 to display their cars and bikes, while members of the public make gold coin donations on entry. This years’ event featured 120 cars and 40 motorbikes.
“It’s a way of raising money for a very good cause,” club secretary Chris Bird said.
While the total was slightly down on previous years, Chris was pleased with the result.
He said the economic climate and poor weather had worked against the event, making every donation especially appreciated.
The donation comes at a transformative time for the Marlborough Cancer Society, with general manager Phillipa Hatton confirming Marlborough has recently separated from the Wellington Cancer Society division, which previously covered Greater Wellington, Wairarapa, Nelson-Tasman and Marlborough.
“We’re now very, very independent. Our little centre is entirely Marlborough, managed by the board, run by the board, and all of our fundraising, every dollar and every cent, goes to our centre and our community and the people we serve,” she said.
Phillipa thanked the Vintage Car Club team for its continued support.
“Just a massive thanks from us. It makes a huge difference to our bottom line.”
She said the society remains focused on assisting as many people in Marlborough as possible.
“We want to help as many people as we can, and this is just absolutely incredible.”
She added that the impact of local fundraising should not be underestimated.
“For our tiny little region, the effort and money raised make up a huge part of the national fundraising total. It’s a massive event that takes a lot of time and effort, and I’m immensely grateful for everyone involved.”
