TESTIMONIALS

2nd May 2010

Dear Leah,

Ethan never stopped smiling for days after the Hamilton 400 event.

I have never seen him so animated and talkative; he told anyone who would listen about the Hamilton 400 event.

Just as things were quieting down we got the CDR in our mailbox with pictures you took of the event, Cloud 9 again!!!

Thank you Leah for putting in the time and effort to make my young man and others have ”THE BEST DAY EVER” (in Ethan’s words)

Take care and Thanks you.

Sincerely
Ethan’s MUM

26th April 2010

Dear Leah,

Thank you for taking us to Hamilton V8's.

I really enjoyed my day over there. I really enjoyed our morning tea and lunch together.

I liked the V8 race. It was awesome to watch them race.

It was awesome to meet the racing car drivers.

Yours sincerely

Ethan McEwen

19th April 2010

Hi Leah,

I just wanted to say thanks from me personally as a mum.

To see and hear my ‘boys’ rave about their day at the V8’s was beautiful.

Chase and Steve haven’t had so much fun together for such a long time and it was almost heart stopping to see them sitting on the couch together when they got home. Looked tired but completely at one with each other.

Not only did they have a great time, but they have some great memories to add to the memory bank.

Times together like you allowed Chase and Steve to have aren’t a luxury, they are a necessity in lives that are potentially shorter than we’d like. So thank you for making those days more fulfilling than we could have ever imagined!

Donna Slater
Hamilton

17th February 2010

Leah,

I wanted to thank you for letting me share the Project KPH experience with the kids at Manfeild this past weekend, but somehow I’m struggling to find the right words to explain the impact this weekend has had on me! As a mother of two boys, I thought I had seen the joy on kids faces, I thought I knew happiness when I saw it in my kids eyes, but I have never seen happiness as I did with the Project KPH kids! The sheer joy of sitting in a real race car, of seeing their names on a real race car, of meeting real racing car drivers, being treated as REAL people, these kids taught me the real meaning of happiness, acceptance, joy and unconditional love, kids who were strangers to me at the beginning of the day etched themselves into my heart by the end of the day – not only did I accept and love them for who they were, but they accepted and loved me for who I was – and you never can really explain that feeling can you, you can only explain it as magical, special and extremely precious. Project KPH changed these kids’ lives, even if just for one day, I’m sure like me it’s a day the kids will never forget and always treasure.

So thank you Leah, thank you Project KPH, thank you to the drivers and the motorsport community, thank you to the kids who taught me that the small things in life do matter and that every moment should be cherished!

Alesha Morris
Trustee & Volunteer Co-ordinator Project KPH

25th January 2010

Hi Leah

Thank you for the great opportunity you gave my son Nicholas.

I am a single mum and unfortunately car racing is not my thing, so the opportunity for him to come along and learn, see the cars up close and talk to drivers’ has been a valuable experience for Nicholas. Not only did he ask lots of questions but he loved all aspects of the day. He enjoyed the racing as well. He has asked me to take him again.

Thank you again for the valuable experience you give to all the children. I personally really appreciate what you have given my son.

Regards
Debra

7th December 2009

Dear Leah,

The two days at Ruapuna racetrack were awesome getting to know Simon was the best and seeing my name on his car was really cool some kids at school still don't believe me!

Getting all those signatures was great especially Johnny Reid & Matt Halidays. The Mad Butcher Mike was really nice the lunch was yum. I`m so glad I went.

Dad and mum have said we can go to Timaru to watch it again so I can't wait. Can you tell all your helpers and the drivers thanks from me, especially Simon and his Dad, they were really nice to me.

Thanks a lot Leah it was the best day I've had this year.

From Alex.

7th December 2009

Dear Leah,

I also wanted to write and say "THANK YOU" . Alex has been home today with the flu, which thankfully he didn't have the other weekend, hence his note to you.

His day at the races couldn't of come at a better time as that week we also found out that he has Ehlers Danlos syndrome as well as his Kidney condition.

Alex was pretty down in the dumps, as all his joints,muscles, etc are affected and he can no longer do all the things he loves as he has to protect his joints from further damage.

He had been saying he hates his body,it was crap, etc but since his two days at the races he has really cheered up and we have heard none of that.

He said he couldn't believe his eye's when he saw his name on Simon Mc Lennan's car.! He wants to follow Simon all over the country now !! We have reached a compromise and have said we will take him to Timaru ha !!.

Alex was on cloud nine after Simon took time out to chat with him again on Sunday, Alex is now his no1 fan !! All the other drivers were great to Alex as well and he now has his walls covered in posters, so it's not a day he will likely forget anytime soon. So a huge thank you to you and your helper,sponsors, and everyone else who helped make a young boys dreams come true.

Kind regards
Angela and John Whitman.

10 November 2009

Hi everyone!

I would like to thank Stone Brothers Racing and Sprint Gas Racing for letting us spend so much time in their pits specially during Race Day. To Air NZ for supplying the tickets for us to fly over; the Mad Butcher for all the sausages and the generous cash injection; the Sudima Hotel Christchurch for accommodation and venue for our fund raiser and to John McIntyre Racing for their awesome contribution.

I am so grateful to all the wonderful people who made our trip to Bathurst happen; it was one of the greatest things I have experienced, so much so that there are no special moments as all of it was just awesome and amazing.

Thanks HEAPS to everyone that contributed and helped.

Sabrina (and Dad too) :)

6 November 2009

Hi Everyone,

Just a quick note to say a massive……………………………………Thank-you to everyone concerned over our amazing trip to Bathurst.

From start to finish, the accommodation, the flights, the scenery, the track, the driver’s, (especially, Johnny McIntyre and Greg Murphy) were just amazing in every way humanly possible.

When this opportunity was offered to us earlier in the year from Leah at KPH, it seemed along way away until departure and in general a dream. After organizing passports, letters to carry medication, our fundraising adventures along the way, the trip crept up on us incredibly fast.

In this time Logan spent 3 weeks in hospital which included an unexpected operation which did worry us, that this trip may not come to fruition for us, as Logan’s health took at least a good Month to pick up to have the strength for it at all.

Not to fear, my son is certainly a soldier and here we were sitting at Bathurst in great Company watching the race of a life-time. This was our first family holiday in 10 years together and one we will remember forever. (The 560 photo’s) I took might help with this also.

We will be forever indebted to Leah and her team along with all of you that helped make this dream come true for my son, your support and kindness is part of the faith in life that we all need to get us by,

Thank-you from the bottom of our hearts

Paula and Logan Fynn

P.S We are officially hooked on V’8’s, Go Kiwi’s

16th July 2009

Dear Leah,

You and your team of volunteers at Project KPH are a credit to our community. I am genuinely lost for words to express how grateful I am for what you have done, and continue to do, for children with special needs in our country.

Logan Fynn is one of many special young children that your cause is continuing to inspire.

Thank you for support to Logan and for all the work you’re about to continue to do for New Zealand children.

With best wishes and much gratitude.

Anonymous Logan Fynn Supporter

23rd February 2009

Hey – just think – how people out there can say they give a damn about other people’s feelings and their situation? I would say about half the people I have known. And how many people out there have made someone’s dream come true when there was literally nothing in it for them besides a sense of altruism? I know of one. You have got a lot to be proud of – and you know it!!

People like you are what make life interesting and worth living. And in a world where everyone around them is vying for their own needs, yours is like a breath of fresh air in crowded and suffocating room.

Dr Matthew Goddard,
Brother & Best friend,
Germany

1st March 2009

Hi Leah

Mikey & I wish to thank you for organising the day out at Manfield this weekend for the 5 boys.

Mikey has a very rare optic nerve disorder and is currently 60% blind, but within 2-5 years he will be almost totally blind.

Mikey does not have a huge passion for motor sport however it is very important that he gets the opportunity to see and experience as many things as possible in that short amount of time. We can certainly tell you this visit to Manfield has certainly been 1 of his biggest thrills he has had for quite a long time. He came home absolutely buzzing and couldn’t wait to tell his Mum all about it. Today was spent putting up the drivers posters on his bedroom wall and he even took down a poster of David Beckham so he could get them all up. Football is a big thing in Mikey’s life so that goes to show how much of an impression all those drivers made on him. They became instant heroes in his life.

What you do for children with disabilities is absolutely awesome and our family can’t thank you enough.

Mike Rowe

9 October 2008

Dear Leah

Asher and I would like to say a big thank you for the fantastic day we had last Saturday at the Taupo Motorsport park. Asher was just buzzing that night and he has been ever since.

It was such a fun packed day only made possible by you. Leah you are an amazing person lighting up these kids lifes and giving them amazing opportunities they would never otherwise have.

Thanks for your kindness

Tina & Asher Everton
Taupo

April 2008

Dear Leah

What an amazing day and a valuable experience your project gives to children with special needs!

From your first contact with Hamilton North school you have gone out of your way to involve us in the Project KPH experience. You ensured that all aspects from contact with parents, a song to share with the drivers and the safety aspects needed to make this day a success were all covered. Congratulations and our thanks and gratitude goes out to you.

We were a group of four students and their parents/caregiver. The students exhibit a range of different intellectual abilities, all with one thing in common – an enthusiasm for cars. This opportunity allowed the students to enjoy a major event like this as anyone else would.

Although the students may not always have shown it through expression or speech, they understood that this was an important event and were thrilled by the fact that they got to meet the famous drivers of some of the cars.

This is a once in a live time experience for many of these students and without Project KPH this may not have been possible. The value of this project is immeasurable. The students are still in awe and continue to access the knowledge they gained and share their experiences constantly with staff and their peers.

The social interaction four students had with new people in unfamiliar environment reinforced our schools vision to be a “bridge to the community” and with your assistance Leah they were able to cope.

A heart felt thank you

Michael van Alphen
Teacher
Hamilton North School

24th April 2008

Hi Leah,

Jasper and I would like to express our unfettered and enthusiastic gratitude to yourself and the generous sponsors of Project KPH, and to all those who gave of their time to meet with us and help make the day of being hosted by KPH at the inaugural Hamilton 400 Street Race Series such an unforgettable and privileged experience.

With Jasper having Cystic Fibrosis and the CF life of ‘Medication Dedication’, so much of family life is centred around pills, inhalants and physiotherapy that at times it can feel there is little room for much else. I am so happy Jasper and I had the opportunity to share in this wonderful experience together of not only the hosted day with KPH but of the entire weekend and the extra buzz of being there and supporting drivers and racing teams you have actually met and struck a rapport with made it all the more exciting. The well autographed KPH T-Shirt from the day is a prized possession of Jasper’s and is pinned up onto his bedroom wall along side the ticket stubs and posters.

Jasper has always been an avid rev-head with much of his time enthusiastically spent either reading about cars, playing with cars, building them out of bits or drawing his designs on paper… he aspires to an automotive career path. I know he does and will always treasure this weekend and will draw motivation and inspiration from it both now and in the future.

Thank you so much for making a difference.

Our best wishes and warmest regards,
Enos Van Der Putten & Jasper Thomas

22 January 2008

Dear Leah

Thank you for providing our son Carl with the opportunity to go to the A1GP last Saturday. As you now know, Carl has Down Syndrome and very limited speech. He does however have an awareness of his surroundings and is quite astute in identifying people who engage with him naturally and comfortably.

I was impressed in how quickly and effortlessly you made a connection with Carl. This was all the more impressive because Carl is a man’s man and often takes time to bond with females especially if there are other males present.

You would have noticed that Carl was relatively quiet during the day but I can tell you that he was very excited to tell his mother and siblings about his day when he got home. He has repeated this story with some excitement throughout the week to everyone he has had contact with.

The impact that this day out made on Carl was significant and brought to us the realisation that there are other opportunities of activities such as this day that we should pursue for Carl in future.

What was also evident was your ability to instantly bond with Carl and the other boys whom you had not previously met and who had different and varying abilities. This appeared to me to be natural and effortless on your part, which is a special quality that you have.

Thank you for the opportunity and the effort you have put into making this happen. It must have taken not only considerable time and money, but also a great deal of courage to host a group of special needs people whom you had never met, at such an event.

Regards
Gary Smith

March 2008

Hi there Leah, My name is Alison Willetts; you had the pleasure of my son Jevon and husband Brent at the car racing in Timaru on 1st March. I just wanted to say a big thanks and that doesn't really cut it!

They both had a fantastic day especially Jevon; you couldn't wipe the smile off his face for days. He had such a fantastic time with meeting the drivers and getting to go in the cars and even all the posters he received (which are still on the wall!!).

You have gone to so much trouble and it is so appreciated, thank you again from the bottom of my heart!!

xxxx Alison