Wheels to spin for home
The second edition of this event forms part of a family day providing fun and entertainment
RESIDENTS are urged to show their support for the physically disabled by throwing their collective weight behind the House Otto Wheelchair Dash in Boksburg in March.
House Otto, a self-help centre for quadriplegics and paraplegics, relocated from Springs to Birchleigh in 2014.
The second edition of this event forms part of a family day, providing fun and entertainment for people of all ages. With 20 teams of four men and/or women participating in each race, the first four chairs in each heat will compete in a final dash to determine the winner of the House Otto Wheelchair Dash floating trophy.
Also read:
• House Otto has relocated to Kempton Park
“We appeal for support for a truly worthy cause that needs funding urgently,” said event coordinator Don Clarke.
“By showing our support collectively we can make a difference and there is plenty of enjoyment to be had by everyone involved in the process.”
The wheelchair dash takes place on March 5 at the Checkers Hyper parking area in Boksburg. Entries close on February 29.
The entry fee is R1 000 per four-member team, with proceeds going to House Otto. Each team will need to provide its own wheelchair, which entrants have the option to donate after the race. All team members must propel themselves 100m to complete the 400m course.
As a reward for their efforts, every team member will receive a specially designed wheelchair medal, as will all sponsors, with organisers looking for large corporates and local companies to get behind the event.
Adding excitement to the race, organisers have urged entrants to ‘pimp’ their rides by implementing creative ideas. The best chair, as voted by supporters, will receive a special prize.
On the sidelines of the race, food and refreshments will be on sale at stalls run by the Selcourt Methodist Father’s Group, and entertainment will be provided for children. Flea market stalls are also available for R250 a stand and spectators are welcome to enjoy the racing and the family day.
Registration on the day of the race opens at 9am, one hour before the start of the event.
House Otto, an initiative of the QuadPara Association, hosts five paraplegic and quadriplegic residents and employs seven permanent staff.
It has expanded in recent years to involve various other community projects, including self-help centres in Soweto, Vanderbijlpark and Springs.
For more information on the House Otto Wheelchair Dash, call Clarke on 082 389 3212.
