SPAR honours pledge despite race cancellation

31 March 2020


SPAR Western Cape have kept their promise to the two deserving causes that were to have benefitted from this year’s SPAR Women’s Challenge. This despite the event being cancelled due to the present Covid-19 crisis.
R100 000 each was donated to Operation Smile South Africa and the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children.


SPAR Western Cape recently took the difficult decision to cancel the SPAR Women’s Challenge in Cape Town. The race was to have been held on Sunday, 5 April in Green Point. At the time of cancelling the event, the sponsors committed to honour the race beneficiaries.

“Now more than ever, both can carry on the important work that they offer in our more vulnerable communities,” said Alison Zweers, MD of SPAR Western Cape and Namibia. She was speaking from the SPAR Distribution Centre, where she and her teams are working around the clock to keep their stores open with essentials during the 21-day lockdown period announced by Government. 

“For more than a decade SPAR Western Cape has supported Operation Smile SA, which gives our less privileged children born with cleft palates the opportunity to smile again and take their rightful place in society,” added Robert Brink, Marketing Executive of SPAR Western Cape and Namibia.

“At SPAR we want to make our voices heard, not only in the sporting arena, but also where women and children are vulnerable. So this year we added the Saartjie Baartman Centre as a beneficiary of the race,” he said.
“It was devastating to hear that the SPAR Ladies race had been cancelled. I know all the months of planning that goes along with it, but we all agree it is for the best during the current crisis,” said Ronel Visagie, Marketing and Support Co-ordinator for Operation Smile SA. “However, we are blown away by their unwavering support and thank SPAR.”

“Finally some good news,” said Director of the Centre, Advocate Bernadine Bachar. “I cannot begin to express my gratitude to SPAR for honouring the donation. We are incurring enormous expenses for protective gear and other safeguards for our women and children because most of our women and children are immune compromised. The donation will go a long way to ensuring a measure of financial security in these uncertain times.”

The Saartjie Baartman Centre, situated in Manenberg, looks after the interests of women and children who are victims of domestic or sexual violence.