Legendary Kiwi and rugby great Dan Carter and his DC10 Fund today launched ‘Beat Dan Carter’ in partnership with UNICEF Aotearoa, a fundraising challenge to help children across the Pacific get access to clean water.

At New Zealand’s home of rugby, Eden Park, Carter announced the fundraising campaign and set the challenge target - 273 goals; the number of goals he could convert using one ball, from one tee, in one hour. Participants are challenged to get sponsored to attempt to beat Carter, all in the name of raising funds for children in need in the Pacific.

Funds raised through the Beat Dan Carter challenge will go to the DC10 Fund, established by Carter in 2022, directly supporting UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme for children in the Pacific, where sanitation-related diseases are one of the leading causes of death for under-fives. The partnership will enable UNICEF, alongside the New Zealand Government’s International Development Cooperation Programme, to deliver water and sanitation programmes to some of the hardest to reach places in the Pacific.

UNICEF Aotearoa Ambassador Dan Carter says. 

This is a really important cause that is close to my heart. After the success of my 2022 Kickathon and the support you all gave me, we’ve been able to make a huge difference to children in need. The DC10 Fund aims to tackle the challenges these children are facing by providing critical funding to change lives for the better.

“I’m calling on people of all ages and abilities to get involved, fundraise, and help make an impact for children in the Pacific,” Carter continued.

Carter was named an official UNICEF Aotearoa Ambassador in 2021, raising awareness of the issues facing children around the world. Carter has visited UNICEF’s work in Vanuatu and Fiji, seeing firsthand how access to clean water can prevent children getting sick, helping them stay in school longer and thrive.

Following his retirement from professional rugby, Carter made the commitment to use his platform for good and his DC10 Fund was established in 2022 with a vision of ensuring the world’s most vulnerable children get more opportunities to live a life of freedom and fun.

Michelle Sharp, UNICEF Aotearoa Chief Executive Officer, says Carter has been an incredible partner to UNICEF.

“Dan Carter has been a huge supporter of UNICEF and the work we do with children and their communities, and we are hugely appreciative of his dedication and commitment.”

“When children don’t have access to clean water, it negatively impacts their health, nutrition, education and every other aspect of their lives. The Beat Dan Carter challenge aims to address this problem with critical funding,” she says.

The Beat Dan Carter challenge follows Carter’s successful 2022 DC10 Fund Kickathon which raised more than NZ$500,000 and supported over 140 schools in the Pacific with access to improved water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. UNICEF now has the goal of reaching an additional 277 schools in the next two years which this campaign will support.

How the Beat Dan Carter challenge works:

• From today, participants can sign up at https://beatdancarter.com/ as an individual or team to take part in the ‘Beat Dan Carter’ challenge happening between 3-17 June 2024.
• Participants should kick one ball, from one tee, for one hour, asking friends and family to sponsor them per kick achieved or via a general donation for giving the challenge a shot.
• Those who sign up for the challenge will receive top training tips from Dan Carter himself during the training and fundraising period.
• Individuals and teams that fundraise the most could score a coaching clinic from Dan Carter, plus there are plenty of other prizes up for grabs including signed Adidas rugby balls.
• Participants of different skill levels and physical abilities can adapt the challenge in a way that provides a challenge for them and inspires people to donate.

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