Friday, 12 March 2021 - 2:10pm

An unforgettable ride to school

2 min read

News article photos (4 items)

Reid Cathcart and friend in the police tractor.
The whole school had gathered...
Everyone wanted a look at the tractor.
Sergeant Blair Wilkinson driving Reid to school in the tractor.

When you’re five years old, only one thing can beat a ride in a tractor… and that's a ride in a police tractor.

That’s why police in Oamaru leapt into action when they heard about a local five-year-old who’s been doing it tough lately.

Reid Cathcart, a student at Weston School, has been battling some serious ongoing health issues. He’s spent time up at Starship Hospital receiving treatment, which is a big challenge for someone so young.

School staff were looking for ways to brighten this difficult time for Reid - and then they saw a social media post featuring the semi-famous New Zealand Police tractor at an event in Gore.

 

Tractor Reid Cathcart arrives to school in style
Reid arrives in style.

 

Knowing how much Reid loves tractors, they thought this would be the perfect mood lifter, so they reached out to their local police for help.

“We knew it was in Gore, so we got on the phone right away,” says Senior Sergeant Jason McCoy. “We also knew how important it was to get it to Oamaru as soon as possible for Reid.”

Norwood New Zealand, the sponsor and supplier of the Police tractor, got moving right away, arranging for a swift Oamaru drop-off of the popular vehicle.

Logistics taken care of, all that was left to do was give Reid a ride to school he’d never forget.

All ready for a regular day at school, Reid was taken to the police station where Sergeant Blair Wilkinson was waiting for him, in the driver’s seat of the tractor. Next stop: Weston school.

As they rolled on to the school grounds, another surprise awaited Reid. The whole school had gathered to greet him. Needless to say, there were more than a few kids who couldn’t wait to jump up and take a closer look at the tractor.

All at Oamaru Police were over the moon that they got to play a part in making a special day for Reid, and wish him all the very best.