SPAR Eastern Cape’s Mandela Day activities help the community

The Gqeberha-based SPAR was planning to celebrate Mandela Day on July 18 with the launch of the annual Wheelchair Wednesday project, which has now been postponed until November. The project is a joint effort with the Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities in Nelson Mandela Bay. 

Wheelchair Wednesday, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, creates awareness of the difficulties people in wheelchairs face and raises funds to donate wheelchairs to those in need. It also raises awareness among businesses in the metro and beyond to ensure their facilities provide easy access for wheelchair users.

During the campaign, volunteers are strapped into a wheelchair for four hours each Wednesday during a selected month to experience what those with mobility difficulties confront every day.

Two years ago, 1,000 wheelchairs were donated, and more were donated since, bringing the number to 1,200.

Eastern Cape promotions and events manager Alan Stapleton said they had recently broadened the Wheelchair Wednesday concept.

“Last year we welcomed the Amputee Support Group on board and this year we decided to also focus on the visually impaired. The plan is to have 20 celebrity participants, 10 pushers and 10 in wheelchairs, with the pushers wearing vision stimulation glasses. These pushers will be exposed to the challenges visually impaired people face in their daily life. The seated people will have to direct the pushers.”

The launch was set for SPAR Hunters Retreat, but the switch to level 4 altered those plans. Stapleton said they are considering an alternative date after the slight easing of restrictions to level 3.

However, SPAR Eastern Cape was able to continue with several other activations to honour Madiba’s memory.

“We have all been hit by the devastating effects of the pandemic and to try to alleviate some of the stress, the Eastern Cape distribution centre donated products to each of our 125 stores in the region. This was initiated to allow each store to provide 800 cups of soup to members in their community.

“Each outlet could create their own programme along the lines of setting up soup kitchens for the hungry and supplying ingredients to charities working in their communities.”

Stapleton says the response and support from the stores has been overwhelming.

In other initiatives, SPAR Eastern Cape covered the aspects of mental health and caring for homeless animals.

“To celebrate Mandela Day, our staff at the distribution centre were challenged to do 67 minutes of exercise on July 18,” says Stapleton. “For each member of staff who participated, we donated money towards PE Mental Health’s Rise programme.

“We were thrilled to be able to hand over R20,000 towards the programme, which has been established to address the widespread emotional and psychological impact of the pandemic on the youth of our city.”

In keeping with their philosophy of caring for the broader community, Stapleton said they also partnered with the Animal Welfare Society and covered the cost of 67 sterilisations.

This article was paid for by SPAR.