Golfers take a swing at cancer
With a national fundraising target of R2,5-million to achieve this year, 34 golfers teed off from Kilbarchan Golf Club on Saturday as one of six locally hosted competitions.
This year’s spree of Sanlam Cancer Challenge events has golfers taking a literal swing at cancer.
With a national fundraising target of R2,5-million to achieve this year, 34 golfers teed off from Kilbarchan Golf Club on Saturday as one of six locally hosted competitions.
For these sportspeople, the cause behind the day was too great to be ignored.
Cansa community mobiliser, Estella Naicker explained the Sanlam Cancer Challenge has been established in 1993 as a means to raise funds for the fight against cancer.
Annually, more than 40 000 golfers from more than 800 clubs across the country have lent their support.
Commenting on the success of both Saturday’s competition and the SAGES golf day in Dundee the same week, Ms Naicker said both clubs were warm, friendly and generous.
“The gain for any club is the opportunity to unite for a cause,” she explained.
The Sanlam Cancer Challenge, which continues on June 7 at Dundee, June 14 at Newcastle Golf Club, June 28 in Ladysmith and July 12 in Vryheid, is open to any male or female golfer.
Only affiliated club members can advance in the competition however.
“After the club competitions are complete, the winners go through to a regional and then a national round. The ultimate prize is a weekend at the Ernie Els Estate, where golfers will play on his signature course.”
This exciting prize is encompassed by the phrase ‘the Ernie Els Experience’.
Last year, funds raised at local Sanlam Cancer Challenge events were used for:
* Approximately 4 400 posters and 4 300 pamphlets.
* Accommodating 2 600 patients at 11 Cansa Care Homes and 127 people at Cansa TLC Lodges.
* Providing specialist care and support to 95 lymphoedema and 7 700 stoma patients.
* The loan of medical equipment to 1 850 people and the assistance of more than 13 400 people at Cansa Care Clinics.
* The conduction of 9 157 pap smears for the early detection of cervical cancer.
* 10 136 clinical breast examinations, 5 609 Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) tests and 317 skin cancer examinations.
Ms Naicker has appealed to the community to support the Sanlam Cancer Challenge events, and encouraged businesses to ‘purchase’ holes at the Newcastle Golf Club’s event.
Businesses can pay R1 000 to place any branding they like.
“This is a great opportunity to network, learn about Cansa, get your business name out there and to socialise.”
Contact Ms Naicker on 079 256 7570 or Bebsie Cronje on 073 941 1846.
“We are always on the lookout for more volunteers.”
