The Two Oceans half-marathon heroics of City of Cape Town firefighters, Jermaine Carelse and Renaldo Duncan has left the Volunteer Wildfire Service (VWS) with a very healthy cash injection, as the pledges from businesses and individuals crossed the finish line.
On Sunday 16 April, firefighters Carelse and Duncan ran the Two Oceans half marathon in their fire gear.
It was their second outing, but this time, they used the spotlight to drum up support for the Volunteer Wildfire Service – a valuable partner in Cape Town’s efforts to combat wildfires.
The public was directed to the VWS digital channels to make donations.
Just more than a week later, the organisation has reported that more than R180 000 was raised, thanks to the firefighters’ efforts.
‘We are amazed and honoured that our friends and colleagues at the City’s Fire and Rescue Service would take on such an endeavour to raise awareness to raise funds for us. We are so grateful to these two amazing men and dedicated firefighters.
‘We rely solely on the donations from the public and corporates to keep our organisation going, so all the funds raised will go towards maintenance and operational costs,’ said VWS CEO, Claire Lötter.
‘The goodwill and generosity that this initiative sparked has been incredible. I want to reiterate my sincere thanks to Jermaine and Renaldo for taking this on. You are great ambassadors for the City, and we are incredibly proud of the achievement. To the public who opened their pockets and their hearts to the Volunteer Wildfire Service – thank you. The contributions will no doubt go a long way in helping to keep these brave and selfless volunteer firefighters on the frontlines when we need it the most,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
