Those left homeless by the fires that raged through the Western Cape this week will receive a helping hand from organisers of the Cape Epic.
Organisers and sponsors of the event have donated more than 5 000 of their tents, which are normally used to house participants and crew involved in the event, to those who have been left homeless.
Organisers and sponsors of the Cape Epic have joined forces to offer their support to the victims of the Western Cape fires that raged through the area this week. Photo: Shannon Valstar
In addition to the tents, the event has also donated R10 million to disaster relief and opened an account for those who wish to donate.
“We have been very impressed by initiatives across the country to assist victims of these incidents and thought we would like to help out,” said Cape Epic founder Kevin Vermaak.
“We hope that they can provide temporary shelter to people who have been driven out of their homes by disasters.”
The tents were dropped at the Disaster Management offices on Friday and have been allocated for use by the department.
Colin Deiner, head of Western Cape Disaster Management, said the tents would be kept by Disaster Management and would be available for emergency deployment and distribution across the Western Cape.
He said they would also be available for their colleagues at the City of Cape Town.
The Cape Epic tents are used to house participants and crew during the eight-day event. Photo: Dom Barnardt
Citizens across South Africa have come together to offer support and assistance after the fires left roughly 10 000 people homeless.
For those who wish to donate to the account set up by the Cape Epic, the details are as follows:
Account name: Absa National Relief Fund
Account number: 9309947520
