Hundreds of people descended on Rhodes Park in Thames on November 4 and 5 for the 24 Hour Walkathon to raise funds for I AM HOPE’s Gumboot Friday, which offers free counselling for rangatahi (youth). The event, hosted by Rangatahi Ora Hauraki, included live entertainment, kids activities, raffles and food stalls, and was also about reminding rangatahi there was always someone walking beside them. Organisers say while the final tally won’t be made until next week, more than $20,000 had already been raised. Reporter GORDON PREECE walked around the grounds at the three-hour mark to capture the event.
