He aitua! Waipuke kau ana te puna roimata ki te uri o Ngati Te Maunu, Tongariro, me Hikurangi.

Haere atu rā ki te huinga kahurangi, 
ki te tītoko o te rangi, 
ki te ānewa o te rangi
Haere hei taonga mō te pō
Waihōtia mai ngā kupu akiaki, ngā wero, ngā hua hei taonga mō te ao

It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Luke Crawford. Luke has supported Challenge 2000 as our kaumātua for over 25 years. Luke and Steph’s children, have been involved in various ways with the Challenge whānau as leaders and volunteers Our deepest condolences go out to Steph, Hutana, Abi and the extended Crawford whānau. We feel some of your loss and grief.

Luke will be remembered by us for his strong but gentle leadership and guidance. Challenge 2000, and the young people and whānau we serve, benefitted greatly from Luke’s compassionate and loving spirit. His generosity in sharing his guidance, knowledge, mātauranga Māori, life and encouraging us to strive to build an Aotearoa grounded in Te Tiriti has been extremely significant over a sustained period of time. He was there whenever we needed him. He was our go to, our compass, our encourager, our friend, our mentor. Luke helped lay the foundations of who we continue to become.

There are no words to adequately acknowledge the goodness of this man and the contribution he has made to the Wero Rua Mano whānau.

E Luke, hoki atu ki te Kaihanga
Ki te karanga a Hinenuitepō
Ki te pō nui 
Ki te pō roa
Ki te pō kāore he otinga
Ko te tatau o te pō i mua i a koe
Nō reira, haere, haere, haere.
E te rangatira, moe mai, okioki ai.