Springston couple Tracey Moir and Adrian Rowe hope their mini will last the length of New Zealand when they drive it in the Pork Pie Charity Run 2023 next month.
Moir and Rowe said it will be a dream come true to do the run for the first time, as long as their 1982 Leyland, named Browny, does not let them down.
Moir said Browny starts to rattle over 80km/h, and has a maximum speed of 95km/h “downhill with a tail wind.”
“It’s restored, but not modified in any way. The brakes are fairly exciting, the suspension is non-existent, the air-conditioning is pretty much non-existent,” Moir said.
Yet Browny had coped well recently on the longest trip it had ever made to Kaikoura. This gave the couple confidence the mini might just cope with the six-day charity run from Paihia to Invercargill.
They were at least confident Browny would arrive safely at Paihia, where the 2400km run would start on March 31. The mini will be transported to Auckland before they drive north to the start line.
Moir said she and Rowe had dreamed of doing the biennial Pork Pie Charity Run ever since Moir bought Browny as a Christmas present for Rowe eight years ago.
But registrations are limited to 50 and sell out quickly. They missed out when they tried to register for the last run in 2021.
“It’s kind of one of those bucket list things for us. When you have a mini, it’s something everyone seems to know about,” Moir said.
She said the fun event will also raise money for KidsCan.
Moir and Rowe have already raised $8160 towards their $10,000-plus goal by auctioning and raffling off donated items. About half of the money came from their major fundraiser, a $10 a ticket raffle for a 2.5 per cent all-expenses-paid share in a racehorse donated by Leeston trainer Aaron Swain.
They also have a big auction opening on Trade Me tomorrow for a Black Caps jersey signed by the test team that went to Pakistan. It was donated by Selwyn resident and Black Caps coach Gary Stead and his family.
The couple’s business, Seahorse Supplements, is covering the entry fee and costs associated with doing the run, with every dollar from the fundraising going to KidsCan.
The couple’s team name, Team Seahorse, has been emblazoned on the side of Browny. They are also hoping to add the names of businesses which make a donation.
The Pork Pie Charity Run was inspired by the 1981 film Goodbye Pork Pie, in which two men evade police from one end of New Zealand to the other in a stolen mini.
•The run finishes in Invercargill on April 5. For more information about the fundraising initiatives go to Team Seahorse – Pork Pie Charity Run 2023 on Facebook or porkpiecharityrun.org.nz/page/Seahorse1
•Businesses wanting to support Moir and Rowe or get their name on Browny can email tracey@seahorsesupplements.co.nz or 0272268603.
