Blisters for bread
MORE THAN 13000 people walked along the Sea Point promenade, raising enough money to feed 1667 children two meals a day for a year.
THOUSANDS of Capetonians whipped out their takkies yesterday to take a walk against hunger in schools.
The annual Blisters for Bread walk saw just over 13000 people participate in the 5km or 10km walk yesterday.
At R50 per entry, the walk raised enough money to feed 1 667 children breakfast and lunch for a year.
The Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA)’s fundraising manager Charles Grey said the event was a resounding success.
“It was phenomenal. The event was outstanding, everything ran smoothly, and the weather held out,” Grey said. “The crowd had a great atmosphere – there was a great vibe with the singers and dancers performing. We had an absolute blast.”
The charity fun walk began at the Cape Town Stadium, looped its way up the Sea Point promenade and then led walkers to the Green Point Cricket Club where there was food and festivities to enjoy.
The organisers had planned to cap entry numbers at 12 000, but ended up accepting more thanks to the enthusiasm of the public. “It’s not nice to turn people away. To attract over 13 000 walkers is just phenomenal. I think it’s one of the highlights on the Cape Town events calendar,” Grey said.
He said the benefits of Blisters for Bread stretched beyond the fundraising of the event itself.
“It’s an awareness campaign to target hunger at schools, and it keeps us in the minds and hearts of Capetonians, so we see donations coming through,” he said.
The next challenge for the event is to find a sponsor. “Obviously it costs money to put on, so we’d love to find a sponsor for next year,” Grey said.
PSFA currently provides nutritious cooked meals to over 28 000 pupils at 155 schools in the Western Cape. They have to date served over 1.5 billion meals to hungry schoolchildren.
According to the PSFA, hunger prevents many children from going to school. Those who attend class are unable to concentrate on learning if they haven’t had anything to eat.
A UCT study found three out of four children go hungry every day, and 30 percent of the population live in a state of food insecurity.
“To develop into his or her full potential, every child needs regular balanced nutrition across all food groups – protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals,” the organisation said.
“PSFA breakfasts and lunches are designed and prepared accordingly – costing only R2 per day. Daily school meals provide an incentive to attend school, and help children to focus on their studies.”