Hope and connection found at Anderson parkrun

After the heartbreak and devastation across New Zealand over the past couple of weeks, Anderson parkrun in Napier received some heart-warming and uplifting feedback from many of their participants at the weekend.

“We had no electricity and we were offered showers and phone-charging by those who had generators, batteries or power.”

“It was so important for me to reconnect with my parkrun community because I am mostly on my own.”

“Before the Event Welcome it was announced that someone needed help cleaning out their ruined shop. A group of parkrunners took up the call and helped with the clean-up.”

“One family had no fresh food in the house and, without power, had no way of storing anything. They were invited by two different families for a meal.”

“This is what parkrun is all about. Supporting people in your community with a sense of normal. Safety came first, keeping the tracks clear and community spirit was next.”

“Loved Anderson parkrun this morning. The hugs, chats and sharing of information – the actual run was just a bonus.”

“These connections with other people are very relevant to the mental health of people during hard times. Thank you for organising it.”

“Thanks to the broom crew, the volunteers, and the coffee makers. A bit of exercise and a friendly chat in the sun was exactly what we all needed.”

“It was wonderful to see everyone and do something normal. The support and community spirit we have at our parkrun is priceless.”

“Thank you to everyone who made this happen today. A much-needed respite.”

“Thank you – we needed an oasis in the week that has been.”

“Decided to do something ‘normal’ yesterday and did Anderson parkrun. I think my body and soul needed the distraction.”

“As a result of a chat on Saturday, two parkrunners ended up helping a fellow parkrunner clear mud from their property a couple of days later.”

“As recent arrivals in Napier we really value the friendships we have made through parkrun and it was really important to us to see everyone face to face. Although, luckily, we were not directly impacted (other than power, etc) being isolated and disconnected was hard. We felt really uplifted seeing our parkrun friends.”

“To those who can help bring some sort of normality back into our lives after the devastating week we’ve had, please do.”

#loveparkrun