TOWARDS MOBILITY
Serving those who can’t get up and run
RUNNING and walking are activities that come as naturally to us as breathing.
We run when we are happy, or to get help, or when we are afraid, but mostly to get from point A to B.
When Greek soldier Pheidippides ran 42km from Marathon to Athens in 490BC to report victory over the Persians, he couldn’t have known what his effort would spawn.
Today it is an activity embraced by millions of people of all shapes and sizes, for a multitude of reasons.
Whether running or walking is your thing, these are activities many of us take for granted as we strive to improve our health, have fun and achieve personal goals.
Even though we often hear runners rhetorically ask themselves, “why do we do this to ourselves”, we know that they always come back for more to satisfy a personal quest.
This has been reflected over the past 24 years in the SPAR Women’s Challenge when thousands turn out to revel in that special bond created when you take yourself out of your comfort zone.
While most of us take being mobile for granted, this event has a purpose: to serve those who are not.
We are therefore pleased to use the Women’s Challenge as a vehicle to support two deserving local beneficiaries – the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities (APD) and the Missionvale Care Centre.
The APD, founded in 1940, is committed to social reformation for people with disabilities, providing work opportunities through training programmes. It is also involved in one of our annual campaigns when the plight of those confined to wheelchairs is highlighted.
Missionvale Care Centre, founded under a tree in 1988 by Sister Ethel Normoyle, provides healthcare and educational services for the destitute and poor, with a special emphasis on those living with HIV/Aids.
The Women’s Challenge gives us a wonderful opportunity to help these people by simply putting one foot in front of the other.
Remember that each stride you take on May 6 is a step towards a healthy lifestyle, personal goals and a more mobile community. Yours every step of the way,
ABRI SWART, SPAR Eastern Cape Marketing Director