100km challenge for Carel du Toit

Centre for deaf raising funds with virtual run

September is Deaf Awareness Month and to mark it, the Carel du Toit Centre in East London will be hosting a virtual run to raise funds for the non-profit organisation.

For the Hear to Run challenge, participants will be tasked with running a total of 100km over the month of September.

“What we ve done is create a Strava group and ’ we're appealing to individual runners and anybody who is interested,” said Carel du Toit Centre principal and project manager Paula Kumm.

“As an NPO, funds in the months of lockdown have been incredibly hard to come by.

“There's also the added expense of sanitising and aquiring personal protective equipment (PPE),” she said.

She said the run would help to raise awareness for the centre.

“We've come to the point where awareness of our school is an ongoing challenge and we just thought we had to do something to get our social media up and going,” said Kumm.

What better time than when most things are “moving online or to social media?”

Those looking to take part can sign up for Strava, either on the phone app or online at www.strava.com. Next they must search for the Hear to Run group and request to join.

Once signed up, their challenge will be to complete their 100km before the end of September. Participants are also encouraged to find sponsors to help raise funds for Carel du Toit.

"They can get people to sponsor them per kilometre or sponsors can do a once-off donation.

“With all funds raised, nothing is going to an individual. It's all going to the centre,” Kumm said.

Donations can be sent to the following account:

Carel du Toit Trust

Nedbank: Vincent Park

Account No: 120 602 8726

Branch code: 120 622

Ref: Your Name Run100

For more information, visit the Carel du Toit Facebook page.