Cape Town - In the bitter cold and rain, four big-hearted men from the Western Cape returned to the warm embraces of their families at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital last week after having walked from Richards Bay to Cape Town to raise funds and awareness for the Children’s Hospital Trust’s Orthopaedic Unit project.
Retired councillor Malcolm Johnson, 65, retired teacher Rudolph Williams, 66, police officer Brian Daniels, 52, and firefighter Franklin Richard Peceur, 51, returned on Thursday after having set out for the journey on May 13.
The Heal Our Children marathon walk raised approximately R20 000 with an initial target of R1 million set for building a new orthopaedic unit at the hospital.
The trust’s overall target for the project is R100m over two years.
The occasion proved extra special as the hospital celebrates its 65th birthday. The orthopaedic department treats bone or joint problems, with the specialised service currently scattered across departments within the hospital and at an off-site facility.
The Orthopaedic Unit project will see the building of a new 30-bed orthopaedic unit, upgrading the day surgery and medical records facilities and relocating the blood bank.
Williams said: “What we are doing, we enjoy it because it is for our kids. They are the future and I’m a retired teacher and I love kids. All of us will walk the extra mile to help a kid.”
The team drove to Richards Bay and would only walk during the day, from sunrise to sunset. Peceur said the walk was a personal one, dedicated to a five-year-old relative who is also a patient at the hospital.
“Unfortunately, a lot of people promised financial contributions. They didn't come to the party but they still have a chance to do that because this is quite an effort and sacrifice, but it was a great adventure.”
Last September, Daniels walked from Oudtshoorn to Cape Town raising R50 000 toward the hospital’s new therapeutic play areas.
Johnson said people opened their hearts by offering accommodation and meals along the way. His daughter, an educator at Eldene Primary School in Elsies River, handed over R1500 from the school community.
The trust’s donor relations manager, Pauline Solomons, thanked the group for their commitment, compassion and kindness, and their families who had assisted them throughout the journey.
Construction is expected to commence in September 2023 with the expected completion in November 2024. The cost of the building project excludes equipment required.
Donations can be made at children’shospitaltrust.org.za/donate or contact Peceur on 083 772 9411 or Johnson 083 9833 351.