Lae raises K211,000, 21,100 t-shirts sold

By ISAAC LIRI
HAVING two rugby league greats as part of the Trukai Fun Run auction this year has definitely seen great results in the amount of money raised and t-shirts sold.
Retired North Queensland Cowboys Johnathan Thurston and Brent Tate attended the auctions in Lae on Wednesday) and Port Moresby yesterday, thanks to Trukai Industries and their 11-year partnership with the National Rugby League club.
Trukai chief executive Greg Worthington-Eyre was pleased to see a 25-per cent increase in the number of t-shirts sold in Lae on Wednesday night — a total of 21,100 t-shirts were sold, raising a total of K211,000 with the highest bidder being Raumai 18 Ltd buying 3000 t-shirts worth K30,000.
“It was successful in terms of support from Lae businesses in purchasing t- shirts which is how we raise half a million kina for the PNG Olympic Committee on an annual basis,” Worthington-Eyre said
This year’s Fun Run on June 16 will also commemorate 20 years of Trukai’s association with the PNGOC.
The annual fundraising activity is for Team PNG’s participation at the 2019 Pacific Games this year in Samoa (July 7-20)
“We are absolutely delighted to have Trukai and the Cowboys Johnathan Thurston and Brent Tate be part of the Fun Run this year,” PNGOC general-secretary Auvita Rapilla said.
“We’ve had the Fun Run going on since 1983 with support from the corporate community and our partnership with Trukai has been going on for 20 years now,” she said.
“The support really means a lot to Team PNG and our athletes because PNG is predominantly made up of athletes that are students, unemployed or in the low income category.
“We do a lot in terms of fundraising and we raise the necessary funds to help our athletes who want to excel.
“Its’ only during the Pacific Games year that we have such a huge team. So we’ll have a team of around 520 athletes at this stage and in the next coming weeks we have our justification committee endorsing the final team.
“It is a big team and its’ always a challenge for us raising the necessary funds and we’re only able to do that with the support from corporate partners like Trukai Industries.” Cowboys chief executive Jeff Reibel was also surprised when Trukai announced this week that they would extend their sponsorship of the Cowboys for another two years after 11 years of backing.
“It’s because of Trukai that we are able to bring people like Johnathan Thurston, Brent Tate and others that have come before like Matt Scott, Antonio Winterstein and Matt Bowen to the people of PNG,” Rapilla said.
Thurston said it was great to visit PNG again after coming for the first time in 2002 with the Junior Kangaroos and his last trip up here in 2009.
“I’m really enjoying this trip to PNG, mixing around with the people in the communities and being able to raise money with the Trukai Fun Run t-shirts to help Team PNG,” Thurston said.