Term three Cross Country looked a little different this year for some Whangarei Primary Schools thanks to some great community collaboration.

Early in 2017 Eric Adams, President of the Whangarei Golf Club approached Sport Northland about utilizing the amazing resource - Mount Denby Golf Course, with the vision to bring the community together and using the golf course. After a brainstorm of ideas, it was decided to approach local schools around the golf club and see how they felt about a combined cross country event.

Energizers working with Tikipunga Primary, Totara Grove School, Te Kura o Otangarei and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rawhitiroa discussed the idea with the local schools and got a huge thumbs up.A working group was formed to figure out the details while Judy Panapa and Wiremu Neho from Tikipunga Primary School volunteered to take the lead in pulling the event together.

The weather for the event was perfect with approximately 300 students aged 8-12 from the three local schools (Tikipunga, Totara Grove and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rawhitiroa) involved.  An added bonus was that there was no bus trip, the students walked to the event!

The event was officially opened by Dr Shane Reti and the talents of the I Have A Dream team on the day were also utilised with kaimahi emceeing the event and providing awesome motivation for the runners. Damien Clark, Programme Operations Manager for I Have a Dream says “this event involved all of our schools plus other schools in the local community that we are a part of and support.  It also aligns well with our strategic goals of supporting or initiating opportunities to bring the schools together in an effort towards community development.  For us, our hope is that our Dreamers will eventually come together from three primary schools into the one high school.  The more we can integrate them in the lead up to that, the better the outcomes we will see in transitioning those students.”

Eric from the Whangarei Golf Club says “from my point of view and the Whangarei Golf Club, this was a great way to build relationships and for the members of the Whangarei Golf Club to play an active part in what is most precious to all of us…our children. I have had an amazing response from all of our members involved in the day.  They were very affected by the children, the schools and teachers.  While I had always anticipated that an event like this would be great for our children and our community, it has certainly exceeded any expectations that I may have had. Whangarei Golf Club is looking forward to 2018”. 

Kyllie Tippett of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rawhitiroa adds “for us at Te Rawhitiroa, it was about encouraging our tamariki to be active participants in community events and exposing them to events outside of our school and just giving it a go, as the saying goes ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’. The tamariki were excited, nervous and scared, but overall they really enjoyed being involved and participating and becoming representatives for our school. The most successful part of the day was coming together of a few local schools, being together to support the event and being active participants in a Community initiative under the one common goal.”

Glen Campbell from Totara Grove also adds that the event provided a great opportunity for their students. “A lot of our children wouldn't otherwise get an opportunity to participate in sports outside of school. For some children going 'away' for sport, is very abstract and it is a great self- esteem builder. It is wonderful for the children to feel they belong to a larger community/group and it also brings our children closer together within the school and new friendships are made”.

Judy and Wiremu from Tikipunga Primary also enjoyed the schools working together to enhance the lives of the next generation. While planning, they knew that “the venue, running track and presence of other local school children would add an element of challenge for our students to step out of their comfort zone and to also develop an awareness of being part of an extended caring and supportive community giving them a sense of belonging.  All the children who attended were impressed with the running track and how it was a realistic cross country, the music and atmosphere was festive, challenging and being there to cheer on others made it memorable.”

Community led development is about local people in the community taking the lead on what matters to them. Stand by for 2018 and what this community will organise for their tamariki. 

Check out what some of the students had to say about the event:

“I thought I was going to die, it was so long. I got to talk to my bro from Tikipunga Primary while we were running. I tried to boost him off at the end" Simon-Hadfield, Totara Grove School.

“The hills were fun. I liked running with my friends. I saw my friends from other schools” Katarina Hemara, Totara Grove School.

“It was cool making friends with other kids from other schools. After we finished our race, we played marbles together” Kingzton Pirika, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rawhitiroa.

“The best part for me was pushing myself to do really well, I had been training and practicing for a while and felt that all my hard work paid off. I really enjoyed the course and it was good practice for the Barge Park X Country. Neta Palmer, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rawhitiroa.

“I enjoyed running on the golf course because it was a long run but it wasn’t hard for me. Heaps of people were cheering for us at the finish line. I got a fidget spinner as a prize for coming third in the 8 year old boy’s race. I had fun especially jumping over the drain”. Lucas Anderson, Tikipunga Primary

“I like the course when we ran on the golf course; we went down the hill and then back up the footpath. When I was running up the big hill, a high school student ran with me and helped me to the finish line. Children were cheering me on when I got to the finish line”. Nathan Ballard, Tikipunga Primary.

“Two girls were warming us up before the race started. Bang we were all off running as fast as we can. I like how we ran downhill, and having the other girls to race against. I loved racing against my friends. At prize giving I got called up get a certificate for coming fifth place”. Matatini Swanson, Tikipunga Primary.