Te Anau was in head-to-toe pink on Sunday for the annual Pink Ribbon breakfast, the event sold out again on the weekend and raised thousands of dollars for the Breast Cancer Foundation - thanks to the support of a small but mighty community. 

Donations of goods, services and money rolled in from local businesses all keen to do their part. Southland District Councillor Ebel Kremer even agreed work for six hours in a pink tutu – all to raise funds for breast cancer support.  

Mr Kremer donated six hours of his time through his business 'Mr Green', which was auctioned off for just over $400. 

"The work could be landscaping, gardening etc... the person who won him has five acres," said Te Anau Pink Ribbon breakfast organiser Leona McCracken

Cruise Milford and Faith in Fiordland donated $20 from every adult fare sold on Saturday, August 1. Te Anau Auto Electrical donated pink tool kits, which were raffled off, as well as pink doughnuts made by Wapiti Bakery sold for $5 each. Local restaurants The Fat Duck and La Toscana created special dishes just for last weekend, with the proceeds from each to be donated to the cause. And Fiordland Outdoors Company donated $1000 from a special Lake Te Anau day trip they ran.

"Lily Newcombe was busking outside of Fresh Choice, playing her keyboard - she's been practising for a whole year,” Miss McCracken said. 

Pretty in Pink: Long-time Te Anau Pink Ribbon breakfast supporter Helen Willett, pictured with one of the breakfast organisers, Jackie Knowles.

"She was actually fundraising to buy herself a motorbike, but she decided to donate it to Pink Ribbon instead.”

Eleven-year-old Lily raised $92 for the Pink Ribbon Breakfast on Saturday. 

"It's just the little things like that, [I'm] so blown away.” 

Miss McCracken has been organising the event for the last four or five years and with good friend Jackie Knowles for the last three years. In the past, the event has been hugely successful for a small town – being among the top 10 Pink Ribbon Breakfast fundraisers in the country.

Pink donuts, supplied at cost by the Wapiti Bakery and purchased by and donated to the cause by Te Anau Auto Electrical, were sold for $5 each.

Last year it raised $7000 and this year the event has raised around $5000 so far. An exact final figure won't be known until the end of the week - when all the sales have been finalised and collection buckets have been collected. 

All the 130 Te Anau Pink Ribbon breakfast tickets were sold as well as 1000 raffle tickets.

Miss McCracken said the highlight of the day was listening to guest speaker Michelle Munro tell her personal story of battling breast cancer with the crowd.

She said the talk was a "raw" and honest that hit home with the Fiordland women in attendance. 

Jackie Knowles presents guest speaker and break cancer survivor Michelle Munro with a bouquet of flowers.

According to the NZ Breast Cancer Foundation 6% of breast cancer in New Zealand occurs in people under the age of 40, 25 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and on average nine women are diagnosed with it per day.

The Pink Ribbon Breakfast had 1511 hosts nationwide this year and has raised $465,118 so far. 

Even the town's takahe statue was dressed up for the occasion.