R265,000 translates directly into 164 tanks of fuel that can cover a massive 148,113 km in response to animal cruelty reports. That’s countless lives saved, justice sought for many victims of cruelty and abuse and hope that beats renewed in the hearts of every staff member of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA today.
Western Cape, South Africa (15 March 2022) – 71 Cyclists took on the gruelling Cape Town Cycle Tour over the weekend… and collectively raised R265,000 for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA!
Established in 1872, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) is the founding society of the SPCA movement in South Africa and is the oldest animal welfare organisation in the country but a spokesperson for the organisation says that they weren’t expecting the heartfelt response that they received in response to their call to action called Race2Rescue – a bid to help keep their Inspectors on the roads.
“We were blown away when 71 Team SPCA Cyclists answered this call and took to the roads in the Cape Town Cycle Tour, in support of the work of the SPCA.
We had no idea with how much heart the task would be undertaken and how this group of athletes would reach for the stars in their efforts to raise funds for our cause and complete their race on the 13th of March 2022.”
Cyclist Colin Marais summed it up perfectly when he said that the pain he went through was nothing compared to what it must feel like to not be able to speak up.
This quote echoes true for the SPCA team of dedicated inspectors who place themselves in heart-breaking and often compromising positions to honour their duty to serve animals and prevent animal cruelty. The job they do is both physically and emotionally taxing too, but the reward of giving a voice to the voiceless keeps them committed to the cause, and just like Colin, they push through the pain barriers to reach their ultimate goal – a kinder world for animals and all who live in it.
“It is a gift to have supporters who not only push themselves to the limits to support our work but also identify on such a personal level with our cause and the suffering of animals,” says Natasha Johannes Peer to Peer Fundraiser and Special Events co-ordinator.
Many of the cyclists echoed Colin’s words, including Betri Meyer, who said, “It was a humbling experience meeting the SPCA team [at a pre-race function] on Saturday. [It is] a real honour and privilege to ride for such an amazing cause. [I] felt so blessed to give a voice to the voiceless, and it was so much fun to ride with the crowd shout-outs for the SPCA.”
“As the SPCA, the amount of support from and for our cyclists is inspiring. We have so many people who believe in us and our work, and we drew encouragement from the event too. We felt every cheer from the crowd as though they were cheering the SPCA on as well. We were there to support our Team, and we found ourselves supported and encouraged instead,” says Natasha.
Downplaying their parts were cyclists Retha Wepener and Ebrahim Rawoot.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love and support you give to not only lost and abandoned animals but also to us as cyclists before and during the cycle tour. You make us all feel like heroes, but in reality, all of you are the real unsung heroes for so many; I thank you, and I’m so proud of being a small part in this amazing fight to end cruelty” and “Thank you Natasha and SPCA, all in the name of an amazing cause. Keep up the wonderful work, and hope our little effort was worth every kilometre we covered today.”
“Their efforts were anything but small or little,” says CEO Moyo Ndukwana.
In fact, R265,000 translates directly into 164 tanks of fuel that can cover a massive 148,113 km in response to animal cruelty reports. That’s countless lives saved, justice sought for many victims of cruelty and abuse and hope that beats renewed in the hearts of every staff member of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA today.
“We extend our thanks to our sponsors VTH Consultants and Schmidhauser Electrical and Plumbing, without whom this event could not have taken place, and we thank the many individuals that came forward to make a very real difference in the lives of both animals and the team who serve them”.
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