Run for Dootch
DUNKELD – About 300 community members show support for Chapter 2 and Dean du Chenne Educational Fund at a spring run.
Smiles abounded on the streets of Dunkeld as community members ran for a good cause on 17 August.
It was the first time the Dean du Chenne Educational Fund (also called the Dootch Fund) and Chapter 2 came together to host a spring run to raise funds for education.
Nearly 300 community members showed their support at the event, many of them being pushed in prams by happy parents.
One or two of man’s best friends also enjoyed the day out on leads.
“We are very happy with the turnout,” said Katy Ward of Chapter 2. “Many of our charities’ teams came through and groups of friends attended together.”
Once the run was completed, runners settled down at Dunkeld Bowls Club, the start and finish point of the run, for an after-party.
For Tamlyn Wells of the Dootch Fund, having a great atmosphere on the day was important.
“It is important that everyone has fun and comes back next year,” she said. “We are doing this to raise awareness of our causes and we [the charities] want to collaborate more. I would definitely say the day was a success. There has been a great vibe and turnout and the energy is wonderful.”
Furthermore, the charities received more donations, above the entry fees, than they expected.
Wells and Ward hope the run will be held annually and are already planning a golf day on 4 October as another fundraiser. They encouraged anyone interested in finding out more about the golf day to contact them.
The Dootch Fund provides financial aid to less fortunate students at Rhodes University. The organisation came about when friends decided to honour the life of the late Dean du Chenne.
Chapter 2 describes its work on its website as actively addressing ‘discrepancies between what constitutional rights are promised to South African citizens on paper, and the physical access to these rights’.
They have projects in areas of education, housing, food, health and water.
Details: team@chapter2.co.za; dootchfund@gmail.com
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