Ido Drent ace for charity at tennis marathon
A former Shortland Street actor returned to his hometown Hamilton to play tennis for a good cause at the weekend.
Former Shortland Street star Ido Drent returned to his home court in Hamilton for fun and games in support of the Child Cancer Foundation (CCF).
Drent took time out to visit his old tennis club and play a few matches for a good cause.
“It was good fun,” Drent said. “It’s a lot of fun getting out there and playing with them. I have a long history with these guys, and so it is always fun coming back.”
New Zealand Tennis Academy coach Nick Hatchett organised a charity marathon at the Waikato Tennis Centre, where he played tennis for 12 hours straight yesterday, to raise money for the CCF.
At the end of the day, spectators were amazed to see that Hatchett was “still standing”.
Hatchett’s opponents donated $2 a minute for every minute he played them.
Hatchett’s fellow coach Gerrit Steenkamp invited Drent to play in an exhibition match for the last two hours of the marathon.
“I know Ido well, and he does heaps for charity,” Steenkamp said. “So I just asked him, ‘are you in?’ and he was happy to help.”
Drent played for the Waikato squads as a teenager, so he was happy to be back in his home town, and playing on his old court.
“It’s good to be back,” Drent said.
“I used to throw tantrums right here on this court,” he laughed.
“Gerrit was my coach when I was younger. Since then he has remained a close family friend,” he said.
“He gave me a call the other day, and told me what they had going on. He asked if I would be willing to come down, help out, and have a hit. And I said ‘absolutely, sounds fun’.”
Drent partnered with Steenkamp and played doubles against Hatchett and fellow coach Guillaume Gignoux.
In the last hour of the marathon Hatchett and Drent invited kids from the sideline to join them on court for some fun games.
A young girl who played doubles against Drent and Hatchett said “playing Ido was so cool, it was so much fun,” before lining up for another game.
Drent recently finished filming on his new show The Offspring which is due to air in New Zealand in late July. “The timing worked out really well,” he said. “We wrapped last night actually, and then I flew in from Melbourne. So thankfully it all worked out.”
Drent is known for working with a number of charities. He said he believes his purpose in life is to do some good in the world, and charities give him the opportunity to do so.
“I think I have been entrusted with a really interesting position, and the way I see it is, I have to use that to do good,” he said. “So I just do what I can, and try to help,” he said.
Drent said what Hatchet did was great, and he was “happy to be a part of it ”.
CCF fundraising and business development manager Sharon Robertson said she was absolutely delighted with Hatchett’s efforts.
“It was excellent, it is a good novel idea, and something different,”
Robertson said.
“It’s good to be involved via sports with something healthy.”
Robertson said about three children a week are diagnosed with cancer. “There are about 90 families currently diagnosed in the Waikato,” she said.
“The money that Nick has raised will be used to help families affected by cancer: financially, emotionally, and, physically.”
“The government only funds the medication for the kids, but nothing else, and so that is when we come in.”
Some of the services CCF provide include support groups for families, financial assistance, back to school transitions for children affected by cancer, and access to family holiday homes that allow affected families to have a much needed break.
Hatchett earned over $3000 from online donors and marathon participants. He was surprised by all of the support he received from family and friends in the UK and overseas.
“I’m seriously really happy,” he said. “I feel extremely satisfied. I’m just pleased to give something back, especially for such an amazing cause.”
