Cape Town Deputy Mayor, Eddie Andrews, is swapping his formal attire for running gear as he prepares to tackle the 2024 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in aid of raising R3.3 million for 42 000 pairs of school shoes.
As thousands of children go without proper footwear, Andrews has committed to making a difference through the initiative dubbed “Soles for Souls”.
“What we have seen in terms of school shoes, kids don't have school shoes and most of them go to school with broken shoes or barefoot.
“We asked the question of what we can do to remove that barrier and push away that boulder they are facing in that particular context,” Andrews said.
“The least that I could do is to run 42.2km, not just raise awareness around the plight but a step in the right direction, and hopefully it will have a ripple effect like on the water,” Andrews said.
No specific schools have been identified yet as recipients of the donation, but Andrews said they are looking at schools in the Cape Metro and province.
“We have not yet confirmed a handover, we haven’t set a date yet.
“The giving doesn’t stop on October 20, we are hoping to still continue to post the event and get more people on board,” he said.
The initiative is in collaboration with GivenGain Foundation and the Santa Shoebox Project.
While running a marathon is no small feat, Andrews, who is also a former Springbok rugby player, said he understands the importance of the challenge.
“For the past nine to ten months I have been training.
“My first half-marathon was at the beginning of February and I finished it.
“The training has been coming along nicely, and we just have to slow down a little bit in preparation day on October 20.”
According to Andrews, each step he will take will symbolise the hope and dignity that a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life.
“All that I can do is just put my body through the physical strain for 42.2km to help their plight along,” he said.
“I think for me, somehow, I feel the moment I hit that last 100–200 metres, they’ve got that blue carpet there on the floor.
“I think that will be an emotional moment that I've pushed away boulders for kids and the journey that I've been on for the past couple of months,” he said.
As the marathon approaches, Andrews continues to train diligently, inviting others to join him, whether through financial contributions or simply spreading the word.
To donate, visit www.givengain. com/campaign/42000-pairs-of-schoolshoes-campaign-2024
Cape Argus