PCA thanks all involved for successful aid mission
Pediatric Care Africa's (PCA) founder and CEO, Dr André Hattingh, has thanked all the donors and supporters of the Ride for a Child charity event.
The PCA returned to White River safely after a 21-day journey across the country to raise funds for children in need of medical care.
The team, Hattingh included, and Steelwings Lowveld riders Kevin Gelderbloem and André Steynmann, rode up and down the country visiting the most northern, western, southern and eastern points reachable by road bikes, racking up 7 036 kilometres in total.
Hattingh thanked Gelderbloem and Steynmann, who had ridden the entire journey at their own cost. He said Steynmann had to use his annual leave to be able to ride with the team and support PCA’s cause.
He also thanked Sarel Ainslie, who had driven the back-up vehicle along with the bikers. “Sarel was much more than just a driver,” said Hattingh.
“He was also our road safety officer, protecting us from riots, road closures and animals, all while having to navigate from waypoint to waypoint to make sure we arrived at our appointments and overnight spots along the route on time, every time.
“I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Sarel, André and Kevin, and I am proud to have ridden with them.”
Hattingh added that the entire PCA team worked hard to organise and make the charity ride a reality, with a special thanks to the PCA secretary, Surika van der Merwe.
“Surika had to deal with thousands of WhatsApps and emails in the process, and kept calm and smiling through it all.”
He said the support the PCA riders received along their route “was phenomenal” and added the people they had met and the friends they had made were “absolutely awesome”.
“From the hundreds of motorcyclists who rode with us along some of the route, to the lodges and hotels that sponsored our accommodation and the people who took us into their homes to feed us and listen to our stories, I thank you.
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“The thanks is not just from me personally, but the children of South Africa you were helping by helping and supporting us.
“Thank you, South Africa. I cannot wait to do it all again next year,” he said.
