Fundraising targets were smashed at Queenstown’s Relay for Life at the weekend.
Held at the Lake Hayes Pavilion, the event drew 20 teams made up of 200 people who walked laps around the pavilion from 8am to 10pm on Saturday.
Relay for Life event specialist Donna Milne said the fundraising target for the day was $50,000.
This target was reached early on in the day, with the total amount raised on the day reaching $76,924.17.
"The more we raise, the more we can help people in Queenstown."
One team out in full force showing their support was a group of pupils and parents from Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau.
Of the 20 teams at the event, Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau raised the most at $13,295.
The group was at the event to raise awareness for their friend Meila Davis, 12, who has osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.
However, the potentially life-saving drug is only in the clinical trial stage, so has not yet been approved as a medicine and is not allowed in New Zealand.
At this stage, Meila is too sick to travel, so is waiting for Medsafe to approve the drug and allow it into the country.
Parents of Meila’s school friends, Adrienne Muir and Jo Tietjens, said they thought it was important to spread awareness and they were doing their bit for the cause by participating.
The parents regularly travel to Christchurch, taking Meila’s school friends to go and visit her.
A school friend of Meila’s, Alexandra Muir, was full of energy at the event, doing her bit to help her friend.
Alexandra wished her friend the best.
"Keep on fighting. We are going to get that drug to you."
