Special charity twist to Berlin

The celebrated annual Berlin November traditional horse racing event will still happen this year, but with a few Covid-19 twists first,

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there will be no horses and second, it will not be held in Berlin.

The event attracts thousands of traditional horse racing fans every year.

This year, the seventh edition, will be held at East London s Jan Smuts Stadium on November

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28, and it will have a special focus on charity.

The show will take the form of an exclusive charity hospitality event that will feature a race day fashion show, live music, an auto show, and all-day hospitality for 400 lucky partygoers.

Organiser Luthando Bara told the Dispatch that though regretfully there would be no horse racing at this year s event, all funds raised would

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be donated to the traditional horse racing community to stage races in their own areas

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or to choose how to alleviate the effects of

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Covid-19 ”.

Bara said the event would be broadcast live on the Berlin November social media pages.

He said the 400 revellers would need to observe social distancing while enjoying the festivities.

Instead of horse racing, the big treat will be “

a brand new auto-show concept designed to entrench the positioning of the Eastern Cape as a key destination for auto manufacturing,” said Bara.

He said it was all systems go for the event. As a socially responsible company, we felt

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we ought to respond to the clarion call by President Cyril Ramaphosa to honour and remember all those who have succumbed to Covid-19, as well as to the growing scourge of attacks on women and children.

The president and his cabinet have called

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for a week of national mourning from November 25 to November 29 for the lives lost to both pandemics and we wanted to amplify the awareness of both issues and use this popular platform to augment the ongoing fight,” he said.

We will allocate 30 minutes of the day s

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programme to these causes.”

Bara confirmed that, for the first time since the event s inception, it would feature only top

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artists born and bred in the Eastern Cape.

The headlining acts would be Zahara, Naaq Music and Nathi, as well as a host of talented local artists.

Event-goers will be required to wear masks “

as part of their fashion plan for the day and complete a compulsory Covid-19 health questionnaire before being allowed into the venue.

And the fun-filled weekend will also feature “

an All Black themed afterparty that will take place at OhMi at Hemingways Mall on November 29, in keeping with the tradition of the event,” said Bara. DispatchLIVE

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Instead of horse racing, the big treat will be a brand new auto-show concept