Cape Town, 25 April 2020: For many it is heartbreakingly the very worst of times. And yet, around the country and the world over, unmasked heroes are showing us the best of who we are.
This Freedom Day, Monday 27 April, at 8am, Adrian ‘Buff’ van Westenbrugge; adventure swimmer and local entrepreneur, will undertake to swim a record 5 times the length of the Robben Island crossing, live on Facebook, to provide meals for vulnerable children and families heavily impacted by the national lockdown.
An ambitious goal
Van Westenbrugge has undertaken to swim 36 kilometres in his backyard swimming pool to raise funds for the Clothing Bank Hunger Relief Drive. The goal – a total of R300 000, enough money to feed 1,200 families for one week (@ R250.00 per family).
A cumulative distance of no less than 36km, equating to slightly longer than the English Channel and no fewer than five Robben Island crossings, Monday’s epic swim is estimated to take approximately 12 hours. With stops allowed for essential refuelling only, van Westenbrugge’s hope is to have sponsors donate enough to feed 100 families by the end of each hour clocked.
Feeding communities in desperate need of help
The Clothing Bank was founded in 2010 with the goal of supporting unemployed South Africans to start small businesses. This includes clothing trading businesses, repairing and recycling of appliances, as well as early learning centres under their GROW Educare Centres social franchise model. Their programme currently supports 1000 traders and 44 GROW early learning centres which educate 2000 children daily and employ 200 teachers. They also support other community-based NGOs and disaster relief efforts.
READ: Local creatives join forces to help raise funds for children in need during the Covid-19 pandemic
The Clothing Bank has large warehouses around the country, together with the logistical infrastructure to get food to communities in need speedily.
“The impact of the lockdown on our traders and their families has been catastrophic,” says Tracey Chambers, CEO for The Clothing Bank.
“We are very connected to our beneficiaries via Whatsapp and the stories are heart-breaking. Mothers are desperate and children are going to be bed hungry. The need is URGENT and we have to act fast to get food to communities.” says Tracey Chambers.
A concerned citizen doing his part
Van Westenbrugge says, “I’m not alone in wanting to do whatever I can to lessen the plight of our vulnerable citizens, most especially our nation’s beautiful children.” He continues: “All around South Africa and the world, ordinary citizens are coming together, united in finding ways to alleviate as much suffering and hunger as humanly possible. Now more than ever, it is our individual and collective responsibility to live and practice the spirit of ‘ubuntu’ for which our country and its people are universally known. We are, and always will be, stronger together.”
Members of the public who wish to lend your support to this worthwhile cause can contribute here https://www.givengain.com/ap/buff-van-westenbrugge-raising-funds-for-the-clothing-bank/
To view van Westenbrugge’s#hungerreliefswim
Date: Monday, 27 April 2020
Time: 08h00
Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/buff.vanwestenbrugge