One of the biking community’s most notable traits is its dedication to charity drives and this will form a central focus at this year’s South Coast Bike Fest
, taking place at Margate from 27 to 30 April. Bikers will congregate on Sunday, 29 April at St Michael’s Beach for the Mayoral Mass Charity Parade in support of the non-profit organisation, 1 Million School Shoes.
This is a national shoe collection campaign, started in September 2016, which aims to donate 1 Million School Shoes to children in disadvantaged communities as a way to empower these schoolgoers and support them on their educational journey. This year the campaign is focusing on collecting 100 000 shoes, which will go towards the larger 1 Million initiative, in celebration of ‘100 years of Madiba’.
The NGO works closely with local charities and authorities to identify beneficiaries within the region of the donations. For the Mayoral Mass Charity Parade, all participating bikers and pillions are urged to bring a new pair of school shoes for donation, which the 1 Million School Shoes organisation will then collect and distribute at a later stage. Cash donations will also be welcome on the day.
Roleta Lebelo of the 1 Million School Shoes NGO said: “We are excited to be working with South Coast Bike Fest on this great campaign. The biking community is always receptive to charitable causes and we look forward to a successful partnership.”
Ray Nkonyeni Municipality’s Mayor Cynthia Mqwebu said they were excited to be supporting such a worthwhile initiative.
“For many children in rural communities, getting to and from school is an arduous process which involves long walks over difficult terrain. This is a big ask of our young people who are seeking an education, and to do this without shoes is just unbearable. We hope that, through this fundraising rally, we can make the lives of our local children easier and instil some well-deserved dignity.”
Bikers will meet at St Michael’s Beach car park on Sunday, 29 April with the line-up starting at 8am. Wentzel said this particular starting point was chosen because it’s such a great example of the beautiful beaches that make up this enticing coastline, popular with beachgoers and maritime sporting enthusiasts across the country, and further afield.
The Mayoral Mass Charity Parade will officially set off at 10am, travelling north along Marine Drive, completing the circuit around Bazley Street, Connor Street, Reynolds Street, Nelson Mandela Drive, Aiken Street and heading back along Marine Drive with the finishing point at Margate.
The Mayoral Mass Charity Parade forms part of a much larger programme that will entice visitors to the South Coast Bike Fest. Attendees will get the chance to visit eight festival-themed bars, corporate dealership decks as well as 22 onsite clubs, pubs and restaurants catering to all interests and tastes. There is also a full line-up of more than 30 South African artists and a jam-packed entertainment programme, including:
• Stunt shows and Powasol Enduro X in the Energy Zone Arena.
• Top musical acts at the Jack Daniels Village Pier Rock Stage and Main Beach Stage.
• Quality fashion shows and Miss South Coast Bike Fest.
All bikers and pillions are urged to pre-register online for #freefunseeker tickets which gives free access to the entire event precinct including the main stage featuring all the headline artist performances. All non-biking pedestrians will be charged a nominal fee of R60 per day which provides access to the main event precinct and entertainment areas within it. For another R150, #fuelyourfun ticket holders can access the Budweiser Main Beach Stage Golden Circle.
Pre-registration for the biking community and limited pedestrian ticket sales are available at www.southcoastbikefest.co.za.
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Instagram: @scbikefest
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Twitter: @SCBikeFest
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