SA Bone Marrow Registry hoping to drum up support at aQuellé Tour Durban
The South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) will join
forces with the aQuellé Tour Durban over the weekend of 10-11 September to drum
up awareness and funds for their efforts.
The Domino Foundation is the events official benefactor and all entry fees go towards their efforts throughout the communities of Durban, however the event allows other charities to use it as a springboard for donations and awareness.
"We’re excited to announce that we have been given the go ahead to proceed with a handful of planned fundraising events, following months of uncertainty especially in KwaZulu-Natal recently," said Kapil Premchand, KZN's Sustainability and Donor Recruitment Coordinator for SABMR.
"To give a much-needed boost to our fundraising efforts we have registered as a secondary charity for the upcoming aQuellé Tour Durban this September."
It's been a difficult time through the past two years for many South African's and for those that need life-saving bone marrow transplants it has been extremely difficult.
"We are therefore calling on cyclists and corporates to help us raise funds through this event. Non-profit organizations were some of the hardest hit financially due to the economic downturn during the pandemic, and while the SABMR managed to keep assisting patients in need, we too, were affected.
"The Registry is currently trying to assist six individuals who require bone marrow stem cell transplants as they are not in the financial position to cover donor related costs. Therefore, the funds raised through this initiative will go directly towards our Patient Assistance Programme (PAP)."
For the aQuellé Tour Durban, to be able to offer a platform to as many charities as possible to try and support their initiatives is important given the background of the event.
"We want to make ourselves as accessible as possible to charities because giving back is the essence of the aQuellé Tour Durban," race director Alec Lenferna said.
"The Domino Foundation is the major benefactor and the work they do throughout the greater Durban area is phenomenal but to have other charities keen to speak to our riders and gain support is also what the race is about.
"The people of Durban have been through a lot over the last two and a half years and the charitable element of your average Durbanite has been incredible to see and that's what we hope to see with SABMR on board this year."
