The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter will again have a large contingent taking part in Invercargill’s annual Wensley’s Cycles Surf to City.

NZAS employee experience specialist Nadine Hancock has been co-ordinating the smelter’s participation for at least five years but knows the involvement stretches back even further.

“I’m not sure how many years we’ve actually had large groups taking part but it’s been many years,” she said.

“I think it’s so popular because it’s a fantastic community event that everyone can take part in. Having the 3km, 6km or 12km options means anyone can walk, run or bike the distance that suits them.”

Entry numbers from Tiwai are again strong this year with about 380 set to get moving.

“We usually have more than 350 participants representing Tiwai, ranging from babies through to some of our longest serving team members, and they represent all of site,” she said.

“It’s wonderful to be part of a big community event where all of our whānau get to be involved.”

The company provided a post-race barbecue for those employees taking part, which provided a great way for everyone to gather and mingle at the end, Hancock said.

“Because of our shift patterns, some people might not regularly see each other, so it’s a great way for them to connect and feel part of the team.”

The highlights were seeing the sense of achievement people had when finishing and the joy on their faces, and also seeing everyone come together as a group, she said.

It was a big job to coordinate entries and t-shirts across the various shifts, but she had fantastic support on site, while the Active Southland team was great to work with and made registering simple, Hancock said.

“It’s a great community event and I know our people love being involved and love being part of Team Tiwai.”

Active Southland chief executive Vanessa Hughey-Pol said Tiwai’s support of the event meant a lot to the organisation.

“It really goes to the heart of why this event is so special because it really celebrates that sense of connection across the community,” she said.

“We’ve got a wide range of workplaces involved this year, including the likes of SouthPort, ILT, Agricentre, Anytime Fitness and Southern Cross. This really speaks to the value role that being active plays in the wellbeing of our community.”

For more information and to enter this year’s Wensley’s Cycles Surf to City, go to surftocity.co.nz

Article added: Friday 01 March 2024