DURBAN - The Sharks have placed themselves at the forefront of the effort to rebuild KwaZulu-Natal by helping to restore shops and facilities that were destroyed by looting, by distributing food to the hungry, and even running a soup kitchen from Jonsson Kings Park.
The Sharks’ “Hand of Hope” campaign was launched on Tuesday with a starting contribution of R1-million from their American shareholders, MVM Holdings and they are currently in conversation with the Kolisi Foundation and Beast Foundation to assist with the implementation of their vision for this campaign.
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In a statement, the Sharks said: “We encourage our stakeholders and fans to get involved and donate where they can. The needs are huge but the goodwill in our communities is unlimited and together we can make a larger impact in as many communities as possible.”
The Sharks were scheduled to play the Bulls this weekend in Durban in a now cancelled Currie Cup match and the men from Pretoria have pledged R100 000 to the Hand of Hope campaign.
Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee added: “Rebuilding community infrastructure will assist in the creation of jobs. We hope that with a phased approach, we can reach as many people as possible in KZN, alongside the selfless efforts of others who have shown such generosity of spirit, to rebuild this province.
“Our relief efforts have been strengthened with a substantial contribution from MVM Holdings, led by the extraordinary Marco Masotti, who are committed to seeing our beautiful province thrive and I cannot thank them enough.”
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“Ubuntu speaks of the spirit of community, of the rewarding influences that positive actions produce. The more hands that are involved, the more lives that are touched and the greater the rebuilding will become. We therefore call on our stakeholders and fans to contribute, where possible,” added Coetzee.
The #handsofhope campaign will take on a three-phased approach as follows:
* A soup kitchen will be run for 10 days, feeding 1000 people daily at Jonsson Kings Park.
* The Sharks, together with the generosity of our stakeholders will look at rebuilding as many shops or facilities within communities that have been decimated by looting.
* The distribution of essential food to communities in dire need of assistance.
To contribute towards the Sharks’ relief efforts, please visit www.sharksrugby.co.za or email [email protected]