A Temuka business is bringing out the big guns in the fight against cancer.
An event is to be held next month to raise money for the Child Cancer Foundation.
G&E Entertainment owner Graham Coombs said he had organised the event after a child who had been going through a cancer journey had attended a party last year.
Mr Coombs said the child’s parents had told him the boy’s illness had meant he had missed out on a lot of parties throughout his childhood.
They both told him how happy they were to see the boy having so much fun.
So Mr Coombs had organised a fundraiser to help other children in the same position.
‘‘All I want to do is make a difference.’’
The business was not his main job, but it was a way to bring joy to children around the area, and to help the community.
The business had been running for over a year, for the first three months it had been mobile, but it had now found ‘‘headquarters’’ on King St.
The shed was a game-changer, not only for the company but for the township.
Mr Coombs said one event had seen people coming from across the country to use the equipment (including laser tag and nerf guns), and there were also people coming from across South Canterbury who had never set foot in Temuka until they booked there.
While children played at parties — marshalled by Mr Coombs — the parents were able to sneak away for a coffee.
Some people had told him they did not know there was an aviary in the domain until they attended a party in the township.
However, he said he loved getting parents into the game at the very end, just to see the kids’ faces ‘‘light up’’.
While sometimes the parents could be hesitant — mothers in particular — he said once couples began warring against each other it could be hard stopping them.
People had commented to him that with Valentine’s Day approaching, he should offer fights for couples.
Anxious players soon realised the games were very safe ‘‘as long as you keep your safety glasses on’’.
He said in larger cities people might be left to play without a marshall, but he liked to stay around to keep it fair.
If he saw a team easily defeat another one he would step in after about 10 minutes and rearrange the teams.
The setting was mobile so it could be refreshed monthly to prevent regulars from having their ‘‘one little spot’’.
Laser tag and nerf wars had the stealthy benefit of making the children exercise, as the game helped children to ‘‘forget about the physical side of it’’.
‘‘It gets them off the devices.’’
The event would be held at their ‘‘headquarters’’ on King Street on March 29.
There would be 15 minutes sessions from 10am to 1pm at $5 per person.
Other questions about the event could be answered at G&E Entertainment’s Facebook page.
