Shipshape chef raises awareness and funds

A SHIPBOARD chef has run more than 400km from George to Cape Town to raise funds for cerebral palsy patients – and exceeded his target of R15 000.

Mitchel Bloem, 23, took 10 days to run the distance in aid of children at the Maitland Cottage Orthopaedic Hospital in Newlands.

Bloem said the journey was not only emotionally fulfilling, but “it was amazing to see the smiles on the children’s faces when I arrived at the hospital on Thursday. I can only hope more people will be inspired to take on a cause and raise funds for something close to their hearts.”

Born and raised in George, Bloem now lives and works in the US as a luxury ship’s chef.

When he was about to return to his ship after a holiday at home, he felt he could not go back to his job without planting a seed of hope in a young life.

After hearing of the hospital’s need for a new air conditioner for their cerebral palsy patients who have difficulty regulating their own body temperatures, Bloem was determined to get the word out and show his support.

“In honour of this amazing organisation and the children in their care, I decided to run from George to Cape Town as a beacon of hope for these children undergoing various orthopaedic treatments. I want to inspire them to focus all their positive energy on their rehabilitation so one day they too can run amazing distances to better the lives of others.”

Maitland Cottage Hospital runs the largest club foot clinic in the country, treating around 120 patients a month. Staff perform more than 550 operations a year.

Children are treated for a variety of conditions such as acute osteomyelitis, steitis and spina bifida.

Bloem started his journey on August 28 in George and arrived at the hospital on Thursday. His journey turned out to be tougher than he initially anticipated, but he powered through the elements, the pain in his knees and blisters on his feet in aid of his cause, raising just over R15 600.

“With the support of my family, friends, the BackaBuddy team, and everyone who’s made donations to my campaign, I’ve been given the strength and encouragement to keep pushing my limits and expanding my boundaries. It’s been a great test of strength.

“Being part of the campaign was not only to raise funds but to raise awareness of cerebral palsy and – most importantly – to make the children happy,” he said.

Bloem is set to leave the country in a fortnight, but told Weekend Argus he would look for another worthy cause when he returned for his next holiday in the next eight to 12 months.

asanda.sokanyile@inl.co.za