Back in June 2010, the New Zealand tree-climbing community was stunned to hear that Matt Dallas had passed away.
Kiwi tree climbers felt they should do something to help Matt's family but no 'mechanism' was in place for climbers to facilitate this action.
Around the same time, the Northland Tree Climbers Association was the seed of an idea in the minds of Joe Cooper and Troy Alderton, both well-known, Northland-based, kiwi tree-climbing identities.
The result of these two events was the NTCA Agathis Fund - a fundraising mechanism, launched in November 2010, to help ensure the New Zealand tree-climbing community would be in a position to help out if in future another Kiwi tree climber was taken before his time.
The Agathis Fund, administered by the NTCA, mainly raises money through the sale of the distinctive purple Agathis Chainsaw Lanyard, made in New Zealand by Aspiring Enterprises, Christchurch.
All major arb retailers throughout the country have got in behind the NTCA and sold these unique lanyards through their retail outlets.$15.00 from each lanyard sold goes directly to the tree climber relief fund generating around $2500 annually.
Now it's February 2013 and the NTCA Agathis Fund bank balance is nudging towards $6000 - quite a contribution from the New Zealand tree climbing community already.
Note: The NTCA is Northland-based but the bereaved family of any New Zealand tree climber would have access to the Agathis Fund.
