AS PARALYMPIC athletes from the Western Cape rack up an impressive medal tally in Rio de Janiero, the organisation that represents physically disabled sport in the province has upped its annual fundraising drive.
Western Province Sport Association for the Physically Disabled has appealed to the public and business for funds to enable a provincial team to attend next year’s National Championships for the Physically Disabled in Port Elizabeth.
The association’s media and marketing manager Vivienne Hamman said the non-profit organisation received no funding from the national government, province, the Lotto, or corporate entities.
“If you want to get funding from any of these people or entities, you have to apply,” she said. “And it is not always guaranteed that you will get anything. When we have nationals, we have to go out and hunt for money, beg for money, humble ourselves in a sense. And it is very difficult.”
Hamman said the association raised R700 000 to send about 200 Western Cape athletes to the last national championships in Bloemfontein. This covered transport and accommodation.
She expects they will have to raise a similar amount this time. Speaking at her Strand home, with the Paralympics on TV in the background, Hamman said the association had launched a new initiative called Project Declutter.
They were asking the public to donate goods such as clothes, curtains, books, working appliances, DVDs and CDs, which the association would then sell.
“We are going to get people’s clutter, whatever it is. If it is clothing and it has tears we can repair it, and then sell it to whoever is interested.
“In that way we can make our money for athletes for nationals.”
The association would then host a monthly, or bi-monthly fete to sell the donations.
“The idea is to also showcase one or two of our disabled sporting events – such as goalball or boccia – for 15 to 20 minutes while the sales are going on,” she added.
The event would probably take place at St Giles Sports Club in Rondebosch.
In addition to Project Declutter, senior Paralympians would later this year help raise money and awareness on a schools roadshow, selling bracelets for R10 or R20.
Contact Hamman at [email protected] or visit www.wpsapd.co.za for more information.