Pediatric Care receives hero’s welcome
The PCA Ride for a Child charity bike event ended on Saturday afternoon following a 21-day journey around the country, completing a total of 7 036 kilometres on bikes.
Accompanied by scores of bikers from across the Lowveld, the Pediatric Care Africa team arrived safely at the White River Square on Saturday and was greeted by a cheering crowd.
PCA founder and CEO, Dr André Hattingh, along with Steelwings Lowveld riders, Kevin Gelderblom and Andre Steynmann, were welcomed back on Saturday afternoon, escorted by Mpumalanga Police Diving Unit, and followed by various biking clubs from around town.
PCA was formed in 2017 by Hattingh and has recently been registered as an international non-profit organisation in the Netherlands.
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He formed the organisation to provide life-saving medical care and treatment for less fortunate children in our local communities and throughout Africa, with a special focus on Mpumalanga.
With music blaring and a pancake-eating competition set up at the White River Square in an attempt to raise more funds for PCA, casual shoppers and supporters made their way to Hattingh, adding last-minute donations to the donation box.
Hattingh had said the goal was to raise enough money for at least 100 surgeries and 400 doctors visits, however, one surgery costs around R59 000.
The CEO of the Nelspruit Community Forum, chairperson of the KLCBT and chairperson of the Mpumalanga Leadership Foundation, TJ Maré, announced on behalf of Nelspruit 911 Riders that they would be donating R10 000 to PCA, and Lean van Kradenburg of Steelwings Lowveld donated a further R2 600.
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Tea Thyme Cafe, sponsored by Freddy Hirsch, hosted the pancake-eating competition soon after the donation announcements were made.
Out of 10 participants, the crowd was delighted when the only two women who participated in the competition, won by miles.
Mbombela residents Molly Coetzee and Heila Niemandt ate their way to victory, helping to raise funds for PCA and winning themselves a R250 Pick n Pay voucher each.
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