Determined to help donate wheelchairs for the needy, Bidvest employees set out in their numbers to “walk for extraordinary people”
What do you get when 64 615 people from four different cities all unite on the same day, at the same hour, for the same cause? An event of extraordinary magnitude! That’s what happened at the 2015 Bidvest Unity Walk.
On the morning of August 16, goodwill and selflessness were evident when hundreds of Bidvest employees and their families gathered to walk for wheelchairs.
The 10 km family fun walk took place simultaneously in Johannesburg (Bidvest Wanderers Stadium), Durban (Sahara Stadium), Cape Town (Cape Town Stadium) and Port Elizabeth (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Indoor Sports Centre).
Formerly a Johannesburg-only event launched in 2010, this annual event is held in partnership with the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) – the aim of which is to raise awareness of the needs of quadriplegic and paraplegic people in South Africa.
Having made a commitment that one wheelchair would be donated for every 75 employees who completed the walk, as well as one wheelchair for every seven media representatives, Bidvest group chief executive Brian Joffe proudly announced that more than 300 wheelchairs had been donated.
“Staff and families of Bidvest made a difference to those in need of wheelchairs. QASA will honour Bidvest’s dream of mobilising people with disabilities,” enthused Ari Seirlis, the CEO of QASA.
After the walk, participants were treated to plenty of fun and entertainment. The Johannesburg walkers danced away to Cassper Nyovest, Durban participants to Gangs of Ballet, and Cape Town and Port Elizabeth got down to the sounds of Vincent Bones and Danny K respectively.
Charleen Clarke, editor at Charmont Media Global, had this to say: “It was fabulous to see the Bidvest staff members’ support for a truly worthwhile cause. The streets around Wanderers were jam-packed with enthusiastic walkers and it was a really fun atmosphere. I had a really great time supporting this great cause. If the ROLLING team is invited to participate next year, we will certainly be there!”
Here is what other walkers had to say on Bidvest’s social media pages about this noteworthy day:
- Ashvir Maharaj @AshvirMaharaj – First #BidvestUnityWalk this Sunday. Looking forward to burning some calories. #Johannesburg
- Avi @ishqah – Completed the #BidvestUnityWalk, now waiting for @gangsofballet #Excitedmuch
- Liezle Wilson @LiezleRamos – #BidvestUnityWalk, great way to continue Sunday in the sun
- Raps W R Masanabo – Epic Sunday we had. Proudly a Bidvest fan!
- Caroldene Slingers – Bidvest, thank you. May God bless you more and more. Proudly Bidvest
