Run It Straight holds Sylvia Park event after South Auckland cancellations
Run It Straight took over Sylvia Park on Thursday night, running giveaways and a meet and greet after two South Auckland events were canned.
Charizma, real name Christian Lesa, was born in Aotearoa and moved to Sydney as a kid. The CEO and owner of Run It Straight told Local Democracy Reporting that a couple of events had been cancelled.
[Thursday] was just about still finding ways to give back to the people, especially with the low economic status happening right now, with everything being so expensive,” Charizma said.
“Like I said in one of the videos: ‘You can stop our events, but you can’t stop our f***ing motion’.”
The group announced on Instagram this week that the Auckland Council had prevented its South Auckland events, saying representatives were “called in and told we’re not allowed to run any on the local field”.
However, council officials deny this, saying no permit requests were ever made.
The Run It events are a social media-driven trend where participants compete in full-contact collisions without protective gear, raising serious health concerns over concussion and injury risks.
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board chairman Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich opposed two south Auckland events because of the risks of brain and health-related injuries.
But on Thursday night, hundreds lined up outside Foot Locker at Sylvia Park, with the crowd spilling into the car park. The group pivoted to an in-store meet-and-greet, inviting supporters on their social media platforms to come down and join them.
The group said it was giving away $3000 worth of gift cards, T-shirts from sponsor Bad Apples, and $1000 cash.
Charizma said the idea of Run It Straight came to him while he was in the hospital, facing mental health struggles.
“I woke up and my brother was there. Being there and seeing my son, he was crying at the end of the bed. That was the breaking point … This could have all been gone in an instant just because I made the wrong decision,” he says.
“The only reason I’m doing here and I feel good enough about myself is because I’m just being able to chase my dreams.”
Now, he says, he’s using his platform to create visibility for those often underestimated.
“Brown skin, melanin, there’s not many opportunities for us. We’re all looked at as just people who can play sport and that’s it, no brains.”
He says he wants to break down barriers.
“Everyone’s saying this is dumb ... but when we have UFC fighters that are from here and we cheer them on, everyone wants to praise them.
“All of a sudden, we run a sport that has a little bit of risk, we get shut down. So every beginning - and everything that has a great ending - has a rough beginning.”
Responding to safety concerns about the collision events, Charizma said the group ensured it was as safe as possible, with medics and an ambulance on site.
“People are saying our sport is about going until someone gets knocked out. That’s rubbish. That’s b*******. It’s not about that.
“It’s about whoever has the biggest hit moving on to the next round. We’ve had about three knockouts in eight shows. People can say what they want, but, if you’re not there, then you don’t know.”
Charizma said his group was not affiliated with the RUNIT Championships League.
Taryn Crewe, Auckland Council general manager parks and community facilities, says the council has not declined or cancelled any Run It Straight events in Auckland.
Run It Straight organisers had not applied for any event permits or made any requests to book council-owned or managed sites.
Even if an application had been received, it would be unlikely to meet council guidelines because of health and safety concerns and the current high demand for sportsfields, Crewe said.
Miga Tuigamala, store manager at Foot Locker Sylvia Park, says the event was about uplifting the community, supporting Pacific youth, and backing the boys behind Run It Straight.
“The purpose was to represent us as Islanders out south ... just doing what’s right for the Run It Straightguys,” she says.
While acknowledging the risks involved, she likens it to what’s seen on the rugby field.
“Most of the best rugby players come from the islands. What we see them do is what we normally see on the footy field.”
Of the group, she says: “They’re lovely guys. They look big and scary, but they’re not. Most Islanders, we’re all big and scary, but we’ve all got a big heart.”
==================================================
🎉 Riddle me this, legends! 🎉
He/She who makes it, sells it.
He/She who buys it, doesn't use it.
The user doesn't know they are using it.
What is it?
(Shezz from Ngāruawāhia kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Shezz!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
The Bible Declares That God is Bringing Jews Back To Their Ancient Land of Israel
The Bible reveals that God has chosen and cherished one specific people and one specific land to serve as the stage for revealing His plan and purpose to all nations. As we read in Deuteronomy chapter 7, verse six, speaking of the Jews: “The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.”
God’s ultimate purpose is to transform the world by establishing His Divine Rule in His new Kingdom based in Jerusalem. This will occur when Jesus Christ returns as King during a time of great trouble. At that moment, God will intervene to save first the Jewish people from destruction and gather them from all parts of the earth. Upon Christ’s return, God will put out a Call to be universally honoured, and a lasting peace will finally be established throughout the World. This has been his design from Creation which was told to the Fathers of Isreal first and then to the rest of the World by the teaching of Jesus and then his disciples in the New Testament.
**Exile and the Promise of Return**
Today, the Jewish people have often been cursed and despised among the nations. However, the prophets foretold that when Jesus returns, God will settle them in the land of Israel in security and safety. The historical rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah resulted in their greatest exile from the land, a dispersion that has lasted for approximately two thousand years.
Yet, in direct fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, God is now regathering the Jews to their ancestral homeland. As the prophet Isaiah declares, “For the Lord will have mercy upon Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land” (Isaiah 14:1). While Israel was scattered by God due to their failure to live obediently as His chosen nation, God promised He would never utterly forsake them. The prophet Ezekiel confirms this, stating,
“Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land” (Ezekiel 37:21).
**Fulfilment: The Modern State of Israel**
The promise of God to bring His people back to the land is proven and demonstrated by the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948. The Word of God declared,
“I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the Lord, and I will cause them to return to the land” (Jeremiah 30:3).
Since 1948, we have witnessed Jews returning from all over the world to occupy the ancient land that was promised to the fathers of the nation: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This movement fulfils the words of Ezekiel:
“For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land” (Ezekiel 36:24).
The undeniable return of the Jews to the land of Israel demonstrates that God is sovereignly guiding their destiny. Because we see these specific prophecies fulfilled, we can be assured that those prophecies yet to be fulfilled will also come to pass.
**God’s Unseen Hand in the Regathering**
The regathering of the Jews to the land of Israel is fundamentally the work of Almighty God in our time. It is not simply a political movement driven by the desire of the Jewish people to establish a nation and homeland. Rather, God’s unseen hand is behind the events that have led to the revival of the nation of Israel.
The Bible emphasises God’s personal involvement in this return through numerous passages:
- “Behold, I will save my people... and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem” (Zechariah 8:7-8).
- “I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return” (Jeremiah 30:10).
- “I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities” (Amos 9:14).
- “I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel” (Micah 2:12).
**Conclusion: A Sign of Christ’s Return**
God is regathering Israel today. The very existence of the modern State of Israel is a clear and powerful sign that Almighty God is working amongst the nations. The Bible states that He “shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:12). This prophetic work is underway.
Israel sees their return as prophetical, but few understand that God will create events where first they will eventually be humbled by her neighbours before Christ returns as their Saviour. Read Ezekiel 38 & 39 to gain an incite as to what God's destiny fot Israel is.
We have seen for the last 125 years, the call for their return to their Homeland and its subsequent founding. This is God's reassurance to the World that He'll bring the World under His Blessing. Because of this, we can be confident that Jesus Christ will soon return to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God, a time of peace and plenty for every nation.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
-
37.1% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
-
62.9% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Loading…
