Brad Morgan
Professional skateboarder Johann "Puddy" Zwennis will set off on an ambitious fund-raising journey on 31 July, skating from Johannesburg to Cape Town to raise money for SOS Children's Villages through his "Skate for Change" project.
Zwennis, who is well known in skateboarding circles and has represented South African at the Asian X-Games, reckons it will take him three months to cover the trip of 1 800 kilometres.
He explains on www.skateforchange.co.za why he is taking on the challenge.
Life's challenges
"Life can be hard and full of challenges, and it can be very difficult to make the right choices ... but what if you don't have a choice?
"I had everything I could wish for ... like a warm bed to sleep in at night and a delicious plate of food every day. I went to school, not always loving the idea, but I was blessed, I received an education.
"But the question is, what if... What would have happened if I was not protected by my loving parents? Would I be where I am today? ... That is why it is time for me to return the favour.
"We do not choose in what circumstances we are born in, but we can choose to make a difference and give these children a chance in life."
Five provinces, 33 towns
Zwennis will be accompanied by a crew who will follow him all the way to Cape Town in the Stix and Stones van.
He will average from 20 to 25 kilometres a day on a route that will pass through five provinces and 33 towns. He will travel on back roads and stay over in small towns and camping sites.
Anyone interested can follow his journey on his blog, which can be found on the Skate for Change website.
The epic journey starts at the SOS Ennerdale Village, 5 James Street, Ennerdale on Saturday 31 July at 11am.
Everyone is invited to attend a "bring and braai", with boerewors rolls being the order of the day. Fires will be provided, and visitors are asked to bring along one packet of boerewors for themselves and one for the children at the SOS Village.
Donations
The public can make donations in a number of ways:
SOS Children's Villages
The SOS Children's Villages build families for orphaned and abandoned children.
The SOS Children's Villages Association of South Africa is a member of SOS - Kinderdorf International, which is the largest private welfare organisation for children in the world. Over 200 000 children benefit from the a variety of residential, educational and developmental programmes operating in 135 countries.
The Ennerdale Village was the first one established in South Africa, in 1983. Today, it consists of 16 family houses and is home to 158 children. There are also three youth houses, two of them for boys, which are situated outside the Village, and a girls' youth house on the Village premises.
The Village also has a thriving SOS Kindergarten, which offers quality pre-school education to Village children, as well as to children from the surrounding community.
Fundraising events for the SOS Children's Villages will be arranged by a dedicated team in all major cities, including Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
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