For the third year running, our Raise Up Crews supported over 35,000 participants at Southern Cross Round the Bays event. The Crews manned five different water stations while encouraging athletes and bringing positive energy. Our 70 youth volunteers were able to hand out thousands of cups of water to those running, jogging or walking across the 8.4km course.   

Stations also supported the event’s sustainability practices by utilising fully compostable or reusable cups. Stormwater drains around the stations were also covered to prevent cups entering waterways, ensuring waste is collected and managed responsibly. These provide great education opportunities for our rangatahi and the local community.    

Our volunteers received lots of positive feedback with one event official expressing “Thank you so much for the support on the day, Raise Up definitely provide an important service of getting water out to our tens of thousands of participants!”. 

We'd also like to share a thank you to Stuff Events and their awesome support team that helped trouble shoot some logistics on the day and ensured we were all set up.    

Supporting events like this gives our rangatahi the chance to build confidence, leadership skills, and a stronger connection to their community while representing Raise Up and The Y in their region.