A huge crowd of over 2000 people turned up on Saturday the 25th of February for the Walk the Runway charity event, with fantastic feedback.
The sunset walk raised $5008 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand and supported airport fire officers Murray Hart and Matt van der Heyden’s entry into the Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge.
Murray attributed the event’s success to a few factors, including the rarity of being able to walk down the runway, the gold coin donation and the cause people were walking for.
“It more than met our expectations. The look on people’s faces as they went out into unchartered territory was worth it alone,” Murray said.
“The sunset was amazing and the rain held off.”
Nelson Airport’s focus on being as inclusive as possible gave the event special appeal. People in wheelchairs, kids in pushchairs and on push scooters gave the event a family-friend vibe.
Many survivors of leukaemia and blood cancer participated in the walk, many of whom expressed their gratitude for the event and fundraising effort.
“The walk was more than we ever could have dreamed of,” Murray said.