12 December 2006

Linton Military Camp and the surrounding community turned out in force on the first weekend of December to support physical training instructor Sergeant Nathan Blackler.

SGT Blackler has terminal cancer, and a huge fundraising drive has been underway during the past few months to provide grants for the future tertiary education of his two children.

In October the Blackler family – Nathan, wife Sally, 15-year-old Hemi and 11- year-old Aniwa – was presented with the trip of a lifetime, a 10-day holiday on the Gold Coast of Australia. SGT Blackler said the trip was “really awesome” and he enjoyed being able to spend some quality time with his family before his illness prevented him doing so. “It was tiring but we returned with lots of memories and photos, especially on the rides. We did lots of shopping too – well, the wife did!”

At the time, SGT Blackler said he was humbled by the support the Army had offered his family – but he had no idea what else they had planned.

At 1.00pm on Friday, 1 December, Blackball Weekend began, with the first relay runners in a 24-hour relay taking to the track. Twenty-six teams, made up of a minimum of 24 runners, ran around the 800m track continuously for 24 hours.

The teams competing came from as far away as Waiouru, Ohakea, and Trentham, and also included teams from the Palmerston North City Council, the Palmerston North Public Library, and the NZ Police.

Palmerston North’s Member of Parliament, the Honourable Steve Maharey, and the Mayor of Palmerston North, Heather Tanguay, also participated, while Chief of Army Major General Lou Gardiner and Land Component Commander Brigadier Phil Gibbons used the time to notch up RFLs. It would be unwise to disclose who ran the faster time but there was only one second between them at the finish line, according to witnesses.
 
On the Saturday there were corporate team-building activities and children’s rides, as well as a Linton Community Families Day and a monster garage sale, all with the aim of raising $10,000 towards the fundraising appeal. The final tally was in excess of $19,000, and donations are still coming in.

WO2 Kelvin McMillan said two teams in particular contributed a significant amount to the total – the Waiouru team managed by Toots Brown, which raised $3,052, and the HQ 2 LFG team, which raised $2,341.60.

SGT Blackler said the fundraising efforts were overwhelming. “I just wanted to leave quietly so it’s quite awkward, but the guys are like a dog with a bone!

“It’s been awesome; my family will have very good fond memories of the Army forever. Seeing everybody come together like a big family – how many employers do this? I’m just blown away, it’s just amazing. What can I say but thank you.”

SGT Blackler said he wanted to thank his corps members and his workmates, particularly WO2 McMillan.

“I’d also like to thank my wife, my beautiful wife, and my family. I honestly don’t think I deserve this, I’m the average Joe Bloggs and if they were in the same position they would do what I’ve done, so I don’t know, it’s quite overwhelming. It’s not just a job, it’s a whanau. They have given my family memories they will have forever.”

SGT Blackler joked that although he may not be here next year, he would like to see this become an annual event. He also had some parting words for those who had come to support him.

“Don’t settle for average, strive for the best you can be. If you can tell yourself you’ve done 100 percent, that’s great, just don’t settle for average.”

Donated goods worth $13,500 were given away as spot prizes during the relay and two of the Blackler family were lucky winners, with Sally receiving a $75 Lone Star voucher and Aniwa a $50 shoe clinic voucher. Other spot prizes included a colour television set, a hard-drive DVD recorder, power tools and jewellery.

The team that ran the most laps during the relay was the School of Military Engineering’s Chang Chang’s Crusaders, with a staggering 483 laps – roughly three-minute laps for the entire relay. For their efforts, the SME team picked up Commander 2 LFG’s top prize for the competition – five days’ stand down.

2nd Workshop Company’s Horse Powers team were only 11 laps behind them, with 472 laps, and Whisky Company’s Whisky Harriers came in third with 445 laps.

The top invitational team was the Air Force Ohakea team, with 376 laps. The top civilian team was Palmerston North City Council’s “Are We There Yet?” with 210 laps. The Hard Yards Award was given to HQ 2 Engineer Regiment’s Team Sapper Inc, which racked up 201 laps while in full military gear and carrying packs.

Colonel Lofty Hayward, Commander 2 LFG, was very pleased with the event. “There were so many highlights”, he said. “The generosity of Palmerston North, the keen competition between all ranks and teams, the atmosphere that was generated by a truly worthwhile cause, and the willingness of everyone to give a bit of themselves was incredible.

“At a time of high operational tempo, with soldiers departing and returning to New Zealand at a rapid rate of knots, it was great that we were able to organise and run the relay on such short notice. 1 RNZIR have got about 300 soldiers either away from home or just recently returned from overseas at the moment, yet they were still able to put in two teams. Similarly, 16 Fd Regt who are starting to prepare for the next Afghanistan deployment and had other soldiers away on Exercise Steel Talon, entered three teams.

“It was a great effort by all those who participated or contributed in some way, and it was a great way to finish out what has been a hectic and challenging year. It was our way of doing something for one of our own.”

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