Biking video fundraiser

Queenstowners who lost a son to leukemia, and then cycled the length of New Zealand in his honour, are showing a short video of their ride in Arrowtown this coming Monday as a further fundraiser.

Rose Barnett and Tom Buckley’s son Ben died in 2021, just two months before his 31st birthday.

The couple decided, as a legacy for him, to raise money for Make-A-Wish NZ — a not-for-profit which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses — through a mammoth cycle ride last year, just six months after taking up cycling.

‘‘Ben worried about children and young people suffering during treatment for cancer and chronic illness,’’ his mum says.

‘‘Knowing Make-A-Wish NZ puts a smile on those young faces would have made Ben smile.’’

The couple subsequently raised $55,000, out of their $70,000 target, through their cycle ride, thanks to support from friends, family and the Queenstown community.

They’re hoping to raise some of the balance through screening a short video they shot of their South Island leg at Arrowtown’s Dorothy Brown Cinema at 5.30pm on Monday.

The screening’s all but sold out, but donations can still be made at bit.ly/3U3dsE1

[email protected]

- Advertisement -