But this year the regular ring-in helped achieve a better result when he joined Team Richard Foon, which won the mixed section of Friday’s Craigs Investment Partners EHRT 19th annual tournament.
The team’s namesake was not among the 144 players – 36 teams – for the stunning day on the green, having been benched due to a hand injury.
Despite that, Mr Foon still made some big contributions to the post-match auction making for winners all round, EHRT raising $15,260 to help support the life-saving work of the Eastland Rescue Helicopter.
Of that, $6400 was raised through raffles run on the course, the sale of EHRT’s famous steak sandwiches and green fees donated by Poverty Bay Golf Club, with generous bidding at auction netting the remaining $8860.
And the trust was not the only winner on the day. Major prizes went to:
– First mens and overall winner – Team Ben Humphreys.
– First women – Team Fantastic Fore.
– First mixed – Team Richard Foon.
– Second – Team Placemakers.
– Third – Team King Bees Honey.
Fleur Gardiner, of naming sponsor Craig’s Investment Partners Gisborne, was on-course all afternoon to record scores for the company’s closest-to-pin award for top male and top female. Both go into the draw to win one of two major prizes at the 2026 New Zealand Open, the winners being:
– Top male – Mick Murphy.
– Top female – Kylie Johnson.
And generous sponsorship saw spot prizes awarded to a member of each and every team.
“Having access to Poverty Bay Golf Club’s (Awapuni Links) course is a major contribution in itself and we are most grateful for that, as well as the diligent work of Paul Rickard who is here every year to wrangle teams and tally scores,” said EHRT chair Ian Parker.
“If it wasn’t for them and our naming sponsors, supporters, auction contributors and, of course, the teams themselves, we would not have an event.”
To keep the service on 24/7 standby costs well over $900,000 a year, of which around $350,000 must be raised by EHRT.
And it’s worth it: the team last year logged more than 500 hours of flying time, even more than the record of 2023 which was an exceptionally busy, post-cyclone environment.
It’s an ever-evolving space and for the trust it’s an exciting time of planning for open days at EHRT’s Gisborne hangar, and negotiating longer-term contracts for the service, Mr Parker said.
“But fundraising is always a critical part of the work we all carry out on a volunteer basis.
“The money raised today will go a long way to supporting our Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter and its incredible team, who do so much for the community right across our very large region.”
CAPTION: ACO Leah Kortez and other members of the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team were on hand to help keep players like Peter Hakiwai fuelled for their rounds.