Kariega swim raises funds for charities

Social swimmers will have one last chance to dip their toes into some friendly competition when the Flying Fish Swim is hosted at Kenton-on-Sea next week.

Swum on the Kariega River, the 5km race will see swimmers of all ages and levels take to the water for a fun race focused on completion rather than how fast you can complete it.

Scheduled for December 29, the race was founded in 2014 when a quartet of friends, Julian Dovey, Royce Long, John Francis and Craig Lowe, swam with the tide to a pub named Horns Up, covering the race distance of 5km.

Since that first swim, the event has seen considerable growth in its ranks, growing from just four competitors to 37 a year later, 83 in 2016, and a total of 113 entrants signing up for the race in 2017.

For 2018, hordes of holidaymakers have been urged to sign up.

For the race, swimmers will receive a silicone swim cap as well as a finisher’s medal on completion of the race, in addition to plenty of lucky draw prizes – including a top-of-therange Blu Smooth wetsuit.

In the spirit of the festive season, the race also supports a worthy cause by helping raise awareness of the Periwinkle Charity.

The charity was founded in 2004 by Sunshine Coast regulars.

During the year, Periwinkle distributes funds to various organisations, like Child Welfare, the Young Chiefs Football Club and the Nolutando and Gladys Hani Helping Hands soup kitchens, which each feed 60 mouths a day.

Donations are also given to Rotary Kenton-on-Sea, which allows them to take the grade 6 pupils from Ikamvalesizwe School in Ekuphumleni to Fairewood Hobbiton camp near Grahamstown.

Some funds are used to buy vouchers for the Bam Orphanage in Alexandria.

At the event, donations are welcomed, with all funds raised being used to aid various other organisations and worthy causes.