Charity auction for Possum.

Several hundred people are expected to attend a charity auction and dinner to benefit the family of the late Possum Bourne, which will be held shortly before this year's WRC Rally of New Zealand, on Monday 12 April.

The dinner and auction are being run with full co-operation from the Propecia Rally of New Zealand, so no other functions in the busy lead up to the world championship event clash with it.

"The response we've had has already been unbelievable," said Andrew Miller, the organiser of the Auckland-based evening, "The world rally teams will be in Auckland to start preparations for the Rally of New Zealand, and the Queenstown Race to the Sky finishes the day before."

Items from as far afield as Japan, Australia and Europe have already been donated for the auction, the proceeds of which will go to the Possum Bourne Family Education Trust. Bourne died on 30 April last year as a result of injuries he received in an accident on the Cardrona Snow Farm Rd, near Wanaka, on Good Friday.

"Several of the Aussie V8 Supercar teams have donated to the auction, as well as different items from various rally teams," Miller added, "Possum's popularity and his attitude to the sport certainly extended far beyond the rally fraternity."

Miller has also sourced memorabilia from Formula One and Tiger Woods for the auction, and a full list of items available will be publicised nearer the function.

Just before Christmas, an auction of Tommi Makinen memorabilia in Japan raised several thousand dollars for the Trust. Makinen was making a final publicity appearance there following his retirement at the end of last season.