WITH Dirk Ellis Volkswagen as the main sponsor, the Rotary Club of St Francis successfully hosted the 6312 Amazing Race on December 8, raising R75 000 for St Francis Hospice Kouga.
St Francis Tourism co-organised the event.
As previously reported, the Rotary Club of St Francis chose St Francis Hospice as the beneficiary of their fundraising initiative four years ago because the non-profit organisation has remained dedicated to assisting the most vulnerable in the Kouga region.
To secure the much-needed funding for the NPO, the Rotary Club of St Francis hosted an Amazing Race event where participants navigated 23 checkpoints in their vehicles, completing diverse challenges within 10-minute time frames.
Event organiser, Errol Burman, mentioned that the event received an excellent response, with 28 teams participating, more than double the number from last year.
“The event had a happy atmosphere at the starting line, with many teams dressed up. There were smiles and laughter everywhere. People also enjoyed participating in each checkpoint activity,” said Burman.
“The high level of happy noise at the prize-giving was a testament to the spirit of all involved.”
Burman noted that Dirk Ellis Volkswagen’s checkpoint stood out, as participants were challenged to toss balls of different sizes into a car’s boot.
He expressed gratitude for the sponsorship from Dirk Ellis Volkswagen in Humansdorp, who donated R20 000 to St Francis Hospice.
In addition to this donation, Burman stated that they managed to raise an additional R75 000.
“Our heartfelt thanks must go to all our generous sponsors who supported the 23 checkpoints, as well as the amazing array of prizes valued at approximately R10 000, including dog food sponsored by Buco for St Francis Animal Rescue,” said Burman.
He added that the prize-giving was generously hosted by St Francis Brewery, where the Yates Family team were declared winners of the race, and the Lady Bugs team (including their car) were awarded the prize for the best-dressed team.
“To all the wonderful competitors who made up 28 team entries and raced their way through the morning with such great joy and enthusiasm, thank you for supporting this event for a worthy cause. Finally, thanks to our hard-working volunteers who make these events possible,” said Burman.
With the monetary donation, he mentioned that the Hospice patients will receive comfort and joy this Christmas season. He further noted that at least 50 “golden oldies” gift bags were donated by Village Super Spar and St Francis College, which will be distributed to hospice patients in the Kouga region.
Werner van Wyk, Marketing Manager at Dirk Ellis Volkswagen, said that as a seller of the ‘People’s Car’, Dirk Ellis Volkswagen is passionate about moving people forward and driving positive change in the local economic and social landscapes through their various sponsorship initiatives.
“We are committed to helping this generation, and those to come, create something to be proud of and contribute to a healthy, thriving, and inclusive society,” said van Wyk.
He praised the Rotary Club of St Francis and St Francis Hospice for their outstanding work in the Kouga community. Van Wyk said they were delighted to support the 6312 Amazing Race.
“At Dirk Ellis Volkswagen, we believe in all or nothing. We gave our all by being the event’s title sponsor, and we had fun,” said van Wyk.
