One of Gauteng’s best loved race days will once again drive charity through horse racing.
This year’s Peermont Emperors Palace Charity Mile will be the biggest yet, with the 16 chosen charities receiving a share of R1-million, a dramatic increase from last year’s total of R550 000.
This Grade 2 race, being run on October 31 at the Turffontein Racecourse, also boasts prize money of R1-million.
The Barrier Draw, which will be held at Emperors Palace on October 21, will decide which of the 16 thoroughbreds will represent which of the 16 charities. 16 celebrities will also each be matched with a charity for the day.
The winning charity will receive R150 000, second place will receive R100 000, with all 14 other charities getting proportionate amounts of the total donation, depending on the allocated horse’s placement.
Charities
- Lesedi Programme (Peermont Education Trust)
The Peermont Education Trust offers deserving, previously disadvantaged youth from Ekurhuleni an opportunity to study further through a learnership programme at accredited institutions to enable them to become economically active.
The Trust also provides mentorship which includes life skills and emotional intelligence.
Over 550 young people have been sponsored to this programme to date, with 100 percent of electrical students securing employment and 90 percent of hospitality students securing employment.
- “Izimbewu Ze Themba” – Grade R Project (Peermont Community Benefit Trust)
Early Childhood Development and grade R, in particular, prepare children for school while improving their capacity to develop life-long learning.
The objective of this project is to create a stimulating teaching and learning environment that will enable a greater number of pupils to perform better throughout their schooling years, and ultimately increase the number of pupils eligible to select maths and science in Grade 10.
By providing specialist training for grade R practitioners in the classroom, the trustees are providing a specialised training model that enables the practitioners to learn the practical application without leaving the class.
To date, four schools have been identified; Reahile Primary School in Katlehong, R.P.Mapanzela Primary School in Thokoza and Fortune Kunene Primary School and Nageng Primary School in Vosloorus, which covers 330 children in 10 classes with 10 practitioners.
- Peermont Children’s Trust (PCT)
The Peermont Children’s Trust assists 10 schools in the Gauteng area with the provision of school uniforms ever year, daily hot meals for all pupils, food parcels for the school holidays, building of jungle gyms, and an annual Christmas party.
The majority of these schools are in underprivileged areas with many children being orphaned and malnourished.
The Trust also assists with aftercare programmes and assistance with homework which helps the pupils to improve on their academic results and school attendance.
In fact, the Peermont Children’s Trust after school programmes supports nine centres that cater for 22 primary schools in Gauteng.
The Trust works very closely with the Department of Social Development and Department of Education.
The 10 schools supported by the Peermount Children’s Trust (PCT) include Welamlambo Primary in Tembisa.
