Pushing for a “wheelie” good cause
The Ama Wheelie Wheelie Challenge will become an annual event to make the community more aware of the struggles that people who are wheelchair-bound face on a daily basis.
Locals were up bright and early on Saturday morning to take part in the first Ama Wheelie Wheelie Challenge at Sonpark. The challenge was in aid of Mpumalanga Association of People with Disabilities (MAPD) and to also create awareness in the city.
Teams of two had to “race” around Sonpark to 25 different shops where they received clues. Each clue helped them finish the challenge and they only had two hours in which to complete it. They had loads of fun and each team were adamant to win the best-dressed prize, but in the end it was the Swift Group which scooped the honour.
The Sonpark management team was the corporate winner. The overall winner, which completed the challenge in the best time, was Melco Property.
Even though there could only be one winner, everyone who participated contributed hugely to this great cause. Approximately R16 000 was raised on the day for the MAPD and 30 wheelchairs were also donated.
Tracy Todd, well-known quadriplegic in Mbombela, also visited and thanked the teams for being part of such a wonderful event.
“We do not always have it easy, there is always someone parked on a disabled parking spot or there’s never a way to get into shops, but it’s amazing to see how the community come together on days like these and we forget about all the difficult stuff. Let’s make this an annual event and I think that people should push their own wheelchairs next year,”
she said.
