Smash a cab to help a struggling community member

One of the best things about Roodepoort is the community – there is a camaraderie and support system in this community that it truly heart-warming.

A Wilro Park family is calling on their fellow community members to attend a fundraising event to help pay for the medical expenses of the family’s breadwinner, Arthur Tee.

Arthur was exposed to the coronavirus nearly two months ago, and while he was initially treated at home, his condition worsened and he was admitted to intensive care on May 22, where he has been since.

During the pandemic, Arthur’s workshop was forced to close and the financial ramifications meant he needed to cancel the family’s medical aid to save some money. This year started off better, and the family had plans to reinstate their medical aid as of June. They had even filled in all the forms, but before they could finalise the process, Arthur’s health issues hit.

Arthur’s mother had been in a government hospital when she contracted the virus, so when Alida (Arthur’s wife) was visiting her mother-in-law and bringing in essentials, she too contracted the virus, unknowingly bringing it home to her husband. The knowledge that the virus in the family had been contracted at a government hospital led to their decision to have Arthur treated in a private hospital, and they are now left to deal with the costs, which are more than R500 000 to date.

Hoping to raise some money to cover the costs, the family will host a Smash A Cab event on Saturday, June 19 at 262 Saag Street in Robertville. Community members are invited to attend the event and, for a small donation, take their frustrations out on a truck cab using hammers, baseball bats and other destructive items.

The event will also include a tyre-flipping section where you can show off your strength by flipping truck tyres.

The local K9 Unit will also be in attendance for an entertaining dog show. Music and food stalls will be on offer.

If you are able to support this family in covering their medical costs, the event starts at 10:00 and is open to anyone.

For more information, contact Alida on 083 458 3276.

The Record is in the process of interviewing the Tee family, and Arthur’s full story will be published shortly. The event will surely be a lot of fun, but if you cannot attend and would still like to donate, or if you would like to read more about the cause, visit the BackaBuddy page that has been set up for Arthur here: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/arthur-tee.