"Music therapy was like opening a door of communication for Reuben and meant people could go into his world and he could come out into theirs."  
Gilly, Reuben's mum
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HELP OUR CHAIRMAN LOSE WEIGHT ...

... and raise funds for the Centre at the same time!

Raukatauri's awesome chairman Sean Coleman needs to lose 25kg by 1 August 2012, and he would like your support. Sponsor Sean for every kilogram he loses and he will donate all the funds towards the Centre.

Please email how much you wish to donate for every kilogram Sean loses to info@rmtc.org.nz. Include your name and postal address. 

Special Events

NEW YORK CITY MARATHON: RUN FOR RAUKATAURI
PRE-RACE UPDATE

Thank you so much for the incredible support received in response to the Run for Raukatauri.  We have raised just over $2,000 thus far - but we would love to get to $3,000!!

I had the pleasure of observing some music therapy sessions at Raukatauri last week and it is truly inspiring to see how these children with such restraints on their cognizance of life, nevertheless interact and learn through music therapy and experience the thrill we all get from the medium of music.

I am on the plane to New York by the time you read this. Excited and a tad apprehensive. All the training is done.  985 kilometres so far and with another couple of light 5 kilometre jogs this week, I will pass 1000 kilometres for 2011 at approximately kilometre 5 of the New York City Marathon this Sunday 6 November (Monday NZT). It gives me huge heart and determination to finish and run as best as I can - basically far too many people know that I am doing this; failure is not an option!

If you have been meaning to make a donation but haven't quite got around to it, please click this link to donate and help me run for Raukatauri.

Finally, on the subject of the inspiration of music, I thought I would share my best 10 km run mix honed over the last 1000 kms. Perhaps it can inspire more runners for Raukatauri in the future. Here goes:

1.    High and Dry - Radiohead
2.    Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
3.    Take California - Propellerheads
4.    Stand By Me - Oasis
5.    Other Side - Red Hot Chili Peppers
6.    Night Moves - Bob Seger
7.    Love is only a Feeling - The Darkness
8.    In Between Days - The Cure
9.    Float - The Feelers
10.  Counting the Beat - The Swingers
11.  One of Us - Joan Osborne
12.  Home Again - Shihad

Thanks again from Raukatauri and from me for all your support. I will report post race post haste!!

Simon Foote

NEW YORK CITY MARATHON: RUN FOR RAUKATAURI

THE SHORT OF IT

My name is Simon Foote and on 6 November 2011 I am hoping to fulfil a long standing ambition to compete in and complete the New York City Marathon and raise some money for my next door neighbour THE RAUKATAURI MUSIC THERAPY CENTRE. Most of you who receive this email will know something about the extraordinary work that the RMTC does with special needs children. The RMTC provides music therapy for children who often find it difficult to communicate in any other way. Through this therapy these young people develop new motor and social skills, grow their confidence and create new possibilities for their participation in the world. For more information see below. Every dollar makes a difference and every dollar goes to RMTC. To help out, please click this link to donate to the Run for Raukatauri.

THE LONG OF IT

Labour weekend Monday, 1983. I was 12 years old. I recall like yesterday watching on a tiny colour TV as Rod Dixon became the first foreigner to win the men's New York Marathon. And what a race! It remains #2 on my all time New Zealand sporting moments (#1 is the All-Whites win against China to make the World Cup Finals in Spain, but that's another story). Dixon was 2 and a half minutes behind the leader with just 10 kms to go. But it's all about the last 10 kms in a marathon. Dixon passed Englishman Geoff Smith at the 26 mile mark - just 385 yards from the finish in arguably the greatest marathon finish anywhere, anytime. He ran 2.09.17 and won by a mere 8 seconds.

If you have 4 minutes, watch this YouTube clip of the race with Dixon narrating how he did it, Magnum PI moustache and all. Guaranteed goose-bumps:

I am no runner, or at least not a fast one. I have done a smattering of half marathons over the last 10 years but have dreamed of New York since 1983. I ran (stretching the definition to include shuffling) the Gold Coast Marathon in July this year in an agonising 4 hours 33 minutes. So, let's face it, it's not flash. Since then I engaged a scary coach with a scarier training schedule and have tried to do things properly. My goal, of course, is to beat Rod Dixon's time of 2 hours 9 minutes 17 seconds (plus 2 hours). I'm a lawyer. It's all in the fine print. So, ok, 4 hours 9 minutes. I have run over 800 kms since mid-February of this year and I'm on to my third pair of running shoes. Frankly, it's pretty tedious. Who would have thought that this marathon business involved so much running? Rod made it look so damn easy. But I'm nearly there and have the extra motivation of the Run for Raukatauri.

I have played guitar at Raukatauri Battle of the Bands fundraisers over the past few years and I live right next door to the Centre on Surrey Crescent, Grey Lynn, so nearly every training run has started and finished outside RMTC's door. RMTC has huge support among New Zealand's musical community. RMTC was founded by singer songwriter Hinewehi Mohi ONZM and is named for Hine Raukatauri, Maori Goddess of Flutes, the personification of music. Its patrons are Hayley Westenra and Boh Runga and its musical ambassadors include Tim Finn, Anika Moa, Don McGlashan, Brooke Fraser, Hollie Smith and Nathan Haines. But RMTC runs on a shoestring and so as its close neighbour and a poor but terribly enthusiastic guitarist, I have decided to Run for Raukatauri. Your support will help RMTC and give me added motivation to keep moving the 26.4 miles/42.2 kms through the five boroughs of New York. 50,000 runners, 2 million spectators on course, and several dozen bands on the street around the course playing everything from Dixie to Metal to Rock to Hip Hop through Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Manhattan. It just had to involve Raukatauri.

THE JUST DO IT

Please help RMTC with their great work in music therapy and click to donate right here.

I will send out some blogs and be personally responsible for making the finish line in Central Park on 6 November and will report back! Thank you for your support of the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre.

Simon Foote