The event will be held at Hawke’s woolshed, 33 Quarry Road, Loburn, starting at 10am on Friday March 23 and ending with an auction of donated goods on the Saturday morning.
It is the second such event organised by the Herlihy family of Taranaki following the death by suicide of the youngest son, Michael Herlihy (20) in early 2016.
The family is prominent in shearing circles with John Herlihy and all six sons in the trade. The sons were just a few days from an attempt on a unique brothers’ shearing record when Michael died.
Organiser Mark Herlihy says that with good sponsors lined up it is “more than likely” they would match or exceed the $23,000 raised at their first event in Taranaki a year ago.
“But the main thing to us is to make people aware; it’s more about the awareness of suicide prevention,” Herlihy says
“Probably the biggest thing we want... is to encourage people to come along, especially on the Saturday, and support the guys in the morning at the finish and then stick around for the auction.”
The charities are Lifeline, Christchurch’s He Waka Tapu, the Through the Other Side Trust, and the Taranaki Retreat Trust.
Hawke’s woolshed, a local landmark, has six stands. However, Herlihy hopes to have as many as 10 shearers working at once, with four blade shearers alongside the machines. About 40 shearers are expected to take part including Mark and his brother Craig.
World record-setting champion shearer Stacey Te Huia will start the event.
They hope to shear about 4500 sheep, all provided by local farmers.
