The Aorangi region men’s Eagles Halberg Tournament has done its part to raise money for children around the country.
The golf tournament — held last Thursday — was a fundraiser for the Halberg Foundation.
The foundation is a charitable organisation which helps make sport and recreation inclusive for all people, regardless of their physical abilities.
The Eagles tournament consisted of 26 teams of four.
Eagles senior vice-president Tony Reynolds was in attendance.
Mr Reynolds said in the mid 1960s organisers had started giving money to the Halberg Foundation and over the ensuing years, $6.1 million had been raised from the tournament.
He said in February this year the Eagles Tournament had given $207,000 to the foundation from their tournaments held across the country last year.
The average grant given out by the foundation was $600.
For some, that grant was used to purchase electric trikes.
He could remember two children the foundation had donated trikes to: ‘‘all they wanted to do was go down to the shops and get an ice cream’’.
Aorangi president Kevin O’Neill said a lot of that money came back to help people in the regions.
One person in South Canterbury who had received help from the foundation was Geraldine High School 13-year-old Charlotte Walker.
Mother Kirstyn Walker said Charlotte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when she was about 2 years old.
She said Charlotte gained significant benefit from riding lessons provided to her courtesy of the Halberg Activity Fund.
‘‘These lessons have strengthened her and assisted her with her balance.’’
She recently broke the New Zealand junior para long jump record of 2.98m, jumping 3.24m.
She had also broken personal bests with her running.
‘‘As a result of these physical improvements — and her drive to be the best and break records — Charlotte has a very real chance of fulfilling her dream of wearing the silver fern on the paralympic track.’’
‘‘Her goal is to make the Paralympics in 2028 at Los Angeles and she is on track to do so.’’
