The HACT team were presented with a cheque for R1 112 210 towards their #DoingIt4TheKids campaign by the Comrades Marathon Association’s Chairlady, Cheryl Winn at the official Comrades Charities Handover event which took place at Comrades House in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, the 11th July 2019.
Speaking at the handover event, HACT’s CEO, Candace Davidson thanked HACT’s 2019 team of runners which this year consisted of 91 local and international runners who each raised funds for HACT in the lead up to this year’s gruelling 87km race on Sunday the 9th June 2019.
Candace also made special mention of their team’s Ambassador and well-known local runner, Dean Wight who this year raised a whopping R352 060 making him both HACT’s and Comrades top fundraiser for the second year in a row.
“We are just so grateful to all our runners this year for their hard work and determination in helping us raise much needed funds for our charity’s ongoing work. This year’s theme of “Sizonqoba – together we triumph” could not have been more fitting as so many runners rallied behind our campaign to ensure its success. The Comrades up run is a notoriously difficult race and it was great to hear so many of our runners tell us that running for our children helped to spur them on over the finish line this year!”
The funds raised for HACT’s 2019 #DoingIt4TheKids campaign will be used over the next year to provide life-saving care, support and education to orphaned and vulnerable children living in the Valley of 1000 Hills.
Already setting their sights on next year’s race, HACT’s Marketing & Fundraising Manager, Claire Hodgkinson said HACT’s 2020 Comrades campaign will launch on Saturday, the 26th October 2019 and is set to be an extra special one with the charity celebrating their 30th anniversary next year and it being the 95th running of the world’s oldest and largest ultra-marathon – the Comrades Marathon.
“We hope to keep the momentum going and recruit well over 100 runners to run for HACT next year,” said Claire. “Our runners have all become valued members of the HACT family and we’ll be looking to them to help us reach out and recruit more of their running club mates and friends to also sign up for HACT in 2020!”
For more information on HACT’s 2020 Comrades campaign, please click here.