November is the time to go pink in Nelson Mandela Bay at the annual Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer, which will be hosted on Saturday, November 4.

This year the theme is “Walk as 1,” with the slogan being “we walk for family, we walk for fun, we walk as 1”.

“What we have learned over the years from the province’s leading cancer support services is that there is always hope of remission, and that cancer in the family affects all generations,” says Dohné Damons PR and CSI Manager at Algoa FM.

The Eastern Cape Department of Health hosts a number of activations in shopping malls where it provides free screening and education in the weeks running up to the Big Walk for Cancer.“Cancer is one of the serious challenges society faces.

The Eastern Cape Department of Health fully supports the Big Walk and urges all members of the public to continue supporting the initiative. Let us all be there in numbers to demonstrate our support of cancer victims,” says MEC of the Eastern Cape Department of Health, Dr P. Dyantyi.

The annual five kilometre walk along the Port Elizabeth beach-front attracts over 10 000 people.Proceeds raised by the 2017 walk will go to CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa), CANSA (The Cancer Association of South Africa) and the Igazi Foundation.

The Igazi Foundation has been treating Eastern Cape blood cancer patients since 2010, and 2017 will be its fourth year of receiving support from the Big Walk.CHOC, which helps children with cancer, and CANSA, which provides prevention and early detection services in Port Elizabeth and surrounds, are being supported for the second consecutive year.

“These organisations make a real difference in the lives of people with cancer and those close to them. It is a privilege for Algoa FM to be able to help raise funds for their work,” says Damons.

The entry fee is R65 per walker with a discounted rate of just R60 to all walkers who enter online.

There are limited pink T-shirts with the unique “Walk as 1” logo for the first 7 000 entrants.

Walkers will start at eight from the lower entrance gate in the parking area of the Boardwalk off Second Avenue in Summerstrand, and walk along Beach Road to the Beacon, ending on the Festival Lawns in the Boardwalk complex.

There will be family entertainment, food and coffee stalls available.

Registration can be completed online at algoafm.co.za, or entry forms can be collected from Brian Bands on Cape Road, Brocketts Sports in Uitenhage and Totalsports in Cleary Park Shopping Centre, Walmer Park Shopping Centre, Greenacres Shopping Centre and Baywest Mall.

For every meter of the five kilometre course, R60 was raised for cancer treatment and support at the 2016 Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer, presented by the Eastern Cape Department of Health.

Among the 11 000 walkers who braved rain and wind were the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Phumulo Masualle, the MEC of Health, Dr Pumza Dyantyi, the MEC for Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Pemmy Majodina, and the Executive Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, Athol Trollip.

The annual walk, which is one of the biggest charity events in the Eastern Cape, raised a total of R300 000 to support non-profit cancer organisations in the Eastern Cape.

The Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC), the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) and the Igazi Foundation each received R100 000 at a formal cheque hand-over, held in Port Elizabeth on Friday, March 31.

The Igazi Foundation has already used the proceeds donated by the walk to purchase a much-needed X-ray Machine.

“This machine saves lives. Before the machine arrived, we had to send our patients to Livingstone Hospital to have X-rays done, which was extremely inconvenient” says Cole Cameron of the Igazi Foundation.

CANSA will be using the funds to restore and maintain the Strelitzia Care Home.

“It is a home-away-from-home that accommodates patients undergoing cancer treatment at the oncology clinics that are located far from their homes. The Strelitzia Care Home provides a safe and comfortable environment for patients who are undergoing treatment,” says CANSA’s, Marius de Vries.

“CHOC will be using the donation to service its key areas at the Provincial Hospital Paediatric Oncology Unit.

“The money will be used to support our psychosocial services, and to transport children in Port Elizabeth and from the surrounding areas such as Tsitsikamma, Cradock and Grahamstown, to receive treatment at the Provincial Hospital Paediatric Oncology Unit,” says Anne-Marie Stephenson the Fundraising Manager of CHOC Port Elizabeth.

The Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer has been nominated in two categories, “Community Project” and “Promotions/Stunt Event”, at the 2017 Liberty Radio Awards.

“The success of the walk, the money it raises in support of the fight against cancer, and the recognition it receives is all thanks to Algoa Country. Without the support of the community, it wouldn’t be as successful,” says the managing director of Algoa FM, Dave Tiltmann. The 2017 Algoa FM Big Walk for Cancer will be held on the 4th of November.

By: Dohné Damons

Enquiries: Dohné Damons PR and CSI Manager at Algoa FM

Tel/Cell: 041 505-9471/082 684 4125

KWAZULU-NATAL, PIETERMARITZBURG, 10 June 2016 – The Cascades Lifestyle Centre is pulling out all the stops for well-known NPO ‘The COWS’ as its Pietermaritzburg’s venue to hold the 2016 ‘100 Miles of Nowhere’ annual cyclethon to raise funds for their CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation, happening on 24^th of June 2016.

Says Lynda Lees, Consultant to Cascades Lifestyle Centre, “Cascades Lifestyle Centre is very happy to support this important COWS initiative for the CHOC foundation. We encourage Martizburg residents and cyclists to come out in full force to the centre on the 24^th June from 2pm to support this international challenge. Many of our retailers are supporting this initiative.”

Supported by Cadence Cycling Performance Centres around the country, the Pietermaritzburg Cadence Performance Centre, which recently moved into the Cascades Centre Business Park (Nedbank building), is supplying the Cascades Centre with 20 of their new stationary bikes and monitoring equipment.

This year, the cyclethon of 100 miles (160km) aims to raise R250 000 for CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation, and is open to everyone. The distance can be completed as a team of one cyclist, two or four cyclists. However the team is made up, the distance must be completed on the Cadence Performance Centre stationary bikes.

Says Tessa Hesse, Manager of the Pietermaritzburg Cadence Performance Centre, “The 100 Miles of Nowhere Challenge is a great event that we’re proud to be supporting. We will be transporting 20 of our new stationary bikes and equipment to the Cascades Centre ready for set up and cycling. It’s a fun, family-orientated event that the whole community gets behind, and we want to thank the Cascades Centre for hosting the event.”

As part of the fundraiser, cyclists pay an entry fee donation of R1 000 for a solo rider, R600 per rider for teams of two, and R350 per rider for teams of four, and are also encouraged to get their friends, family and colleagues to sponsor them per km or to complete the distance, all of which goes directly to CHOC.

The 100 Miles of Nowhere concept is now an international fundraising initiative that was unintentionally started by Eldon Nelson, an American blogger who owns the www.fatcyclist.com blog.

The cyclethon will be hosted at eight Cadence Performance Centres based in Pietermaritzburg, Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, and all centres will run the cyclethon simultaneously on 24 June from 2pm - 7 pm.

To enter the 2016 100 Miles of Nowhere, visit Cascades Cadence at the Cascades Centre Business Park or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To find out more about the event and how you can get involved in other ways, go to the 100 Miles of Nowhere website here or like them on Facebook here.

Editors Notes
For more information please contact Tessa Hesse at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About 100 Miles of Nowhere
In 2008, American blogger Eldon Nelson did the first 100 Miles of Nowhere in his garage as a personal challenge to support his ailing wife whilst she was being treated for cancer. The idea was to reach 100 miles in the most mind-numbing way to pay respect to the mind-numbing and painful repetition of unpleasant cancer treatments like chemotherapy. His blog followers loved the concept, and wanted to join him, and so it grew into a worldwide initiative to raise funds for cancer.

In 2011, The Cows, which is a NPO that continuously raises funds and awareness for CHOC by taking part in various sports events in their infamous black and white spotted cow suits, launched the first 100 Miles of Nowhere event in South Africa. Back then only 10 cyclists took part.

In 2015, over 300 cyclists across KwaZulu-Natal raised a total of R160 000 for CHOC. This was used to fund a ‘CHOC Block’ at the paediatric oncology unit at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban. The CHOC Block provides a private rooming-in facility for a child with cancer, and their care-giver, during their often lengthy treatments. Each room costs R150 a day to run, which includes two meals a day for the child and carer, and laundry facilities.