The shortest day of the year – June 21 – is fast approaching, and Trish Rae from Waipuna Hospice wants everyone in the Bay to don their cutest or most loved pair of shorts.

Though it'll probably be a bit chilly, pulling on a pair of shorts on June 21 will help keep your heart warm as you'll be doing it for a good local cause.

The Shorts 4 Waipuna campaign has this year caught the attention of local politicians and civic leaders, who will be showing some skin in support – but it's not all about the big names. Staff at Waipuna Hospice will be wearing their shorts to work on the Shortest Day.

The two staff members leading the charge are Tina Parata and Nicki Twigge, who work tirelessly in their respective roles to help Waipuna Hospice patients and their families.

Tina fills the role of Kai Whakamaru, meaning ‘protector of the person and of Maori cultural practices within a Hospice context'. Trish says that in the past hospice hasn't typically been embraced by all ethnic groups and cultures, so Tina's role is to help facilitate communication to bridge the gap.

'As families and whanau continue to see the value of hospice support, we are committed to engaging with them, and understanding their cultural differences, rituals, and practices to make their experience memorable, respectful, and fulfilling.”

Nicki, a registered nurse, works in Day Services, coordinating and facilitating the service and its programmes. She works with patients to identify their priorities, with an emphasis on achieving the best quality of life possible, remaining active, engaged, and ‘living well'.

'With patient numbers growing each year, the focus of Day Service is to provide specialist support and advice to patients, and work collaboratively with other health providers,” says Trish.

So, make sure you dig out your favourite pair of shorts on June 21, and show your support for the services that Waipuna Hospice provides our vibrant community.

For more details, and to register for Shorts4Waipuna, visit www.waipuna-hospice.co.nz

[K1]Waiting for Tina to call back. My Te Reo is almost non-existent, but I'm pretty sure this translation is not accurate at all.