Keen to maintain their engagement with the East London community, SPAR Eastern Cape have thrown their support behind the Daily Dispatch Summer Fun Run later this month.
This event, taking place at the beachfront on November 26, has been part of the East London social calendar for almost four decades and will offer 4km and 8km distances to runners and walkers of all abilities.
It’s an ideal event to kick off the festive season and SPAR EC sponsorship and events manager Alan Stapleton said the family ethos of the occasion was a perfect fit for them.
“We ran the Family Challenge in the past and following the continued success of the Women’s Challenge in Port Elizabeth, we felt there was a call to remain involved with the East London community,” he said.
“This is a great opportunity for us to back an event which has been in place for 39 years and one that occupies a permanent date on the festive programme.”
He said the Summer Fun Run, which has been held in various formats over the years, ticked all the boxes for them.
“It’s a great welcome to the summer season; a fun event which is suitable for the whole family. Besides the races, there will be lots of fun events, lucky draws, music and cheerleaders.”
A further connection SPAR EC have with the Summer Fun Run is that the event has the Association for the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disability (ARPD) as its beneficiary.
Stapleton said this tied in with the annual Wheelchair Wednesday campaign, which they supported in collaboration with the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities (Eastern Cape) in PE during August.
“This CSI initiative, which raises awareness of the difficulties people with disabilities face, is extremely important to the SPAR family and we are excited to continue that support through the ARPD in East London.
“The Summer Fun Run was the first event in East London which welcomed strollers and wheelchairs, and the organisers donate R10 of each entry fee to ARPD.”
He added that the route was suitable for everyone from moms with tots to persons with disabilities to more serious runners.
The runs begin at the Orient swimming pool on East London’s Esplanade, starting at 9am.
The first 2 500 entrants will get a free event T-shirt and the first 2 000 to arrive on the day will receive a free event peak.
For further info, go to www.summerfunrun.co.za