The '#StandUp' campaign, launched by Carrick Wealth together with Signature of Hope Trust and Chris Bertish, runs until the end of April and there’s still an opportunity to get involved.

The main purpose of the campaign is to mobilise South Africans to stand up and be counted – and, in doing so, assist in changing the lives of children across Africa by donating funds towards the three beneficiaries of Chris Bertish’s Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) expedition.

Over R500 000 has already been raised via the SMS line and through direct donations, while the SUP Crossing project, as a whole, raised more than R5-million. 

In March, Bertish completed the first ever solo, unsupported transatlantic SUP Crossing. Starting off from Morocco in December 2016, he traversed 4 050nm/7 500km, paddling 2 million strokes across the Atlantic Ocean for 93 days.

Bertish aimed to raise funds for three chosen charities, namely the Signature of Hope Trust, Operation Smile South Africa, and The Lunchbox Fund.

With a target of raising over R20-million, the goal is to make the entire project a self-sustainable initiative by means of an annuity fund, specifically set up and managed by the Carrick Wealth Investment Committee, to establish recurring income for the beneficiaries.

Working in conjunction with the beneficiaries, funds will be released on a regular basis, balancing operational requirements with capital protection.

The '#StandUp' campaign was created not only to assist Bertishin in reaching his goal but to encourage the public to show support for these causes.

Participants can still get involved by either making a contribution via the SMS line or by creating a personalised '#StandUp' sign or poster, which they must then post on social media with the status 'I #StandUp for #TheSupCrossing'.

Participants must include a short motivation for the cause and then encourage followers to like, share, and donate to The Sup Crossing initiative.

Participants can donate by SMSing the word 'STANDUP' to 42146. Each SMS will cost R30 and network fees apply – free SMS messages are not applicable. The funds that are donated will go directly towards The SUP Crossing beneficiaries.

Several South African celebrities have joined in and supported this cause, including Jack Parow, Maps Maponyane, Cindy Nell, Pro-Verb, Angel Campey, Dalin Oliver, Guy McDonald, Irma G, Mishka Patel, Nicole de Silva, and Rob van Vuuren.

For more information, visit www.signatureofhope.org. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.

*Image courtesy of Facebook