Kiwi war hero Willie Apiata has raised $220,000 to go directly to the cyclone-impacted communities and iwi that brought him up.
Aotearoa's only living Victoria Cross recipient, the 50-year-old has urged Kiwis to remember the isolated East Coast communities along SH35 - now more isolated than ever since Cyclone Gabrielle's destruction.
Since the devastation, Apiata returned to the region to help make a path through the blocked roads.
"Mobility and long range patrols is what I am pretty good at," he told 1News, "I hopped in my trusty Hilux - my old Toyota - loaded it with bread, 50 or 60 loaves of it milk, lollies for the kids and as many gas bottles as I could tie to the back of my truck."
Though he managed to carve a path, he knew from experience that there was much more he could do.
As a boy, Apiata escaped Cyclone Bola in 1988, which destroyed his family home and ravaged his community.
As SH 35 has towns with Māori and military history rooted in the whenua, the desire to help is not just ingrained in his personal history, but in his ancestry and character as well.
He auctioned of some significant items, including Queen Elizabeth II's funeral programme and unique artwork featuring his horses.
He said raising money was beyond just charity work - it was about giving back to the region that raised him since he was seven.
"This is for a really good cause and that's what its about - our people," he said.
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