Cape Town - The Hike2Heal Cape Town hiking group will be maximising its physical capabilities to help those who cannot, by undertaking the five-day Otter Trail hike along the Garden Route coast to raise funds for the Surgical Recovery Project and provide 1 500 procedures to patients at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH).
The project is a fundraising campaign of the GSH Trust to address the surgery backlog at the hospital caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Their target is to raise R15 million for the first year, of which Gift of the Givers has already committed R5m while the trust aims to raise the remaining amount.
Executive director of the GSH Trust Kristy Evans said: “The trust is beyond grateful for the support of the Hike2Heal group. They have championed our Surgical Recovery Project over the last few weeks – and it has paid off immensely.
“The group had the original goal of raising R100 000 for the project but as of today, they have raised close to R250 000.”
GSH, Gift of the Givers, all donors, patients and doctors involved in this project appealed to the public – individuals and businesses – to give what they could to the project in order to ensure these surgeries could happen and patients’ well-being could be restored.
Hike leader Zaheer Parker said: “We felt it almost symbolic that we could use our limbs, health and eyesight to enjoy this great hiking experience whilst others, our fellow Capetonians predominantly, were just hoping and praying to receive treatment to regain the use of limbs and health.”
The group of 12 will begin their journey on Saturday and end it on Wednesday at Nature’s Valley Reserve.
“The Otter Hiking Trail is known as the most iconic of the multi-day hiking trails in South Africa – if not the world. It’s a five-day trek along the southern coast of the Tsitsikamma National Park located in the Western Cape’s Garden route. It covers a distance of 45km from start to finish,” Parker said.
Evans said the amazing thing about the effort of this group was that it highlighted how a small group of individuals could mobilise a community to make a difference.
Individuals and corporates who would like to partner should contact the GSH Trust through email (kristy. [email protected]) or donate directly to the website page (https:// www.gshtrust.co.za/donate).