Now in its 18th year, the Big Walk is one of the biggest charity events in the Eastern Cape.
It raised R380,000 in 2015.
This year it will be hosted at The Boardwalk on Saturday, 29 October.
“Given the massive success of the event thanks to the support of the community we are able to support the Igazi Foundation, CANSA and CHOC this year,” says Algoa FM’s public relations and corporate social investment manager, Jennilee Peremore.
“As a proud sponsor of this event for the past two years, we at Cell C are delighted to be associated with these organisations. As a caring company, giving back to the communities in which we operate is vital and as we watched the event gain momentum, it gives us hope that with the proceeds increasing every year too, these organisations can improve on their services to those with cancer,” says Louis Burger, Managing Executive: Eastern Cape Region.
With over R700,000 in proceeds raised with the walk collectively over two years, in 2014 and 2015, Igazi Foundation was able to establish the Aloe Igazi Haematology Unit and the Aloe Igazi Paediatric Unit at the Provincial Hospital in Port Elizabeth.
The Igazi Foundation was founded in the Eastern Cape five years ago to provide support to people suffering from blood cancer.
The foundation has five projects in the Eastern Cape, as well as representation in East London, Cape Town and Gauteng.
The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) offers wide-ranging prevention and early detection programmes in the Eastern Cape and the rest of the country.
Funds raised through the Algoa FM Cell C Big Walk for Cancer will be used for the organisation’s Cancer Care Clinic, its mobile clinic and its home-based care, according to spokesperson Michelle Goddard.
CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa) provides support to both children suffering from cancer and their families in all the major centres in the Eastern Cape. CHOC will use the funding from the walk to continue support of M3, the Aloe Igazi Paediatric Unit at Provincial Hospital.
“As can be seen, all three organisations complement each other and provide much-needed support to those suffering from cancer and their families.
“We trust that thousands of residents from Port Elizabeth and surrounds will once again turn the beachfront pink in October as we raise funds for the fight against cancer,” says Peremore.
In 2015 close to 12,000 people walked the five-kilometre route.
