- fundraising
Start your engines! 50 Minis traverse the length of New Zealand for charity
Wed, 24 Mar 2021
It’s a true test of endurance for the cars and their drivers.
Fifty teams of intrepid Kiwis will cram into their beloved Minis this Friday, hoping to complete an epic 2350km journey from Paihia to Invercargill to raise money for children in need. The Pork Pie Charity Run for KidsCan loosely follows the route taken by the Blondini Gang in the 1981 Kiwi classic ‘Goodbye Pork Pie’.
“It’s a true test of endurance for the cars and their drivers,” organiser Tracey Brake says. “We’ve got Minis from 1964 with 850cc motors. Travelling long distances in a classic Mini is a bit like being a marble in a biscuit tin. But it is so much fun.
“There are moments which take your breath away because the country is so stunning, and moments when you think, “Are we there yet? That rattle’s getting worse!” To get to the finish line you need a finely tuned sense of humour, a chiropractor on speed dial and an AA Plus membership - that’s vital.”
The teams come from all over New Zealand, and leave Paihia on Friday March 26th, travelling through Auckland, Taupō, Wellington, Christchurch, Franz Josef, and Queenstown before reaching Invercargill on Wednesday March 31st.
The biennial event began in 2009. 2019’s run raised more than $290,000 for KidsCan, which provides children living in hardship with food, jackets, shoes and health items, so nothing stops them from learning.
“We get to have fun while we’re doing something really important. If we can pull this off in a pandemic and achieve our target for the kids I’ll be so proud. It’s so incredibly special,” Brake says. “This year we’re also looking forward to bringing what business we can to those towns which are really suffering from a lack of tourism.”
KidsCan’s founder and CEO, Julie Chapman, will be driving the final leg for Team KidsCan with the charity’s ambassador Jordan Watson, A.K.A. ‘How to Dad’.
“We’re so grateful to be the recipient of this wonderful, quintessentially Kiwi roadie,” Chapman says. “It’s been an incredibly difficult year for vulnerable families around New Zealand, who have been hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Their children need our support more than ever, and I’d urge anyone who can support these crazy teams to please donate what you can - it makes such a difference.”
En route, the Minis will visit Hampton Downs Motorsport Park, cruise through Horopito Motor Wreckers - Smash Palace, and test their small engines with laps of Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell.
To donate to a team, head to:
If we can pull this off in a pandemic and achieve our target for the kids, I’ll be so proud.
Related articles
&w=1080&q=90)
Small cars, big journey, enormous impact
In 1981, Mini fever hit New Zealand with the release of the classic comedy film Goodbye Pork Pie, featuring two blokes in a stolen Mini making a cross-country dash to evade the chasing cops. In 2025, the film has become the inspiration for an epic KidsCan fundraiser — the Pork Pie Charity Run. This year, 50 teams of Mini lovers loosely followed the Blondini Gang’s route from Paihia to Invercargill over six adventure-filled days. The result? An incredible $469,137 raised.&w=1080&q=90)
Teachers warn of a ‘cost of learning’ crisis as students return to school
The soaring cost of living is fuelling an education crisis for children in poverty, schools are warning. Teachers fear an increasing number of students will turn up too hungry to learn as schools return for the year, with others missing altogether as uniforms, stationery, and devices become luxuries.&w=1080&q=90)
Golfers chip away at poverty again
The Rotary Club of St Johns and Freightways have teamed up to host a golf tournament raising funds for KidsCan. Building on the success of last year’s event, which also benefitted KidsCan, the golf day was held at the Remuera Golf Club on Monday 16 March 2020.