GOING THE EXTRA MILE

Frank Jackson, EWT Business Development Officer

FrankJ@ewt.org.za

On 21 September, the More Community Trust hosted the Extra Mile, the trail run with heart, sponsored by Investec Rhino Lifeline. This incredible event was conceptualised in 2018 to raise awareness of communities’ needs for basic services as well as the importance of conservation, and has grown in 2019 to an event with purpose, joining people from all walks of life and connecting communities and conservation meaningfully.

The 2019 event consisted of four sub-events: a community education day and trail run pre-registration on 20 September and the trail run and fundraising dinner on 21 September. Investec Rhino Lifeline covered all costs, enabling all the fundraising to go to the beneficiaries of the event: More Community Trust’s Rural Water Project, Good Work Foundation’s Huntington Digital Learning Campus and the EWT’s Wild Dog Project.

The day was a huge success, with runners joining from all corners of South Africa to partake in a gruelling 10 km and 21 km trail run through Sabi Sands’ neighbouring rural villages and the area’s natural rangelands. Runners crossed the finish line to the motivating voice of our MC Warrior Ric. The day ended on the banks of the Sabie River, at Protea Hotel Paul Kruger Gate for our fundraising dinner and auction, under the stars with the hippos and frogs filling in as musicians.