Latest news with #SANParksHonoraryRangers
The Citizen
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
WATCH: Youth choir thrills as Kruger sunset and bush sounds play along
The Ndlovu Youth Choir received a well-deserved 'golden buzzer' from the Kruger National Park audience at Friday night's (June 13) Kruger Concert for Conservation organised by the SANParks Honorary Rangers. The choir first shot to fame in 2019 when they ended in the top 10 of America's Got Talent, stealing the hearts of the judges and audiences in the process. From humble beginnings as a choir from a remote village in Limpopo, the group's new-found fame took them on a global journey, performing, producing music albums and garnering millions of views on social media platforms. With perfect weather and a magical setting, the evening started with the 500 guests enjoying harvest table delicacies and sipping on a variety of great wines, gin and bubbly. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Set against the sunset canvas of red and orange and the life-size Honorary Rangers elephants standing tall next to the main stage, the Skukuza runway was transformed. Better ambience could not have been asked for when the concert commenced with the Lowveld group, Meisie Music, featuring Naomi Tagg and Janette Rottcher on violins, with Lizanne Barnard on piano, vocals, flute and drum. Their renditions of 'The Fire Within', 'My Sarie Marais', 'Now We are Free' and 'Mamela' lay the foundation for the rest of the programme. With everyone in high spirits, the internationally acclaimed Ndlovu Youth Choir burst onto the stage after a short break, filling the air with vibrant song and dance. Crowd favourites like 'My African Dream', 'Shosholoza', Toto's 'Africa', and a twist on Kurt Darren's song 'Kaptein' had everyone tapping their feet. You could hear a pin drop when their adaptation of 'Nessun Dorma', with its distinct African sounds, was performed. The audience rewarded it with a standing ovation. Even more unexpected was the rendition of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', unlike anything heard before. Ralf Schmitt, the co-founder and artistic director of the Ndlovu Youth Choir, proudly announced that the official release of the song will take place in the next few weeks. The youngsters' powerhouse vocals, irresistibly combined with mesmerising choreography and infectious energy, ignited the audience, and by the time they played out with 'Pata Pata', everyone was on their feet. The evening not only shared a musical message of hope, love and cohesion, but also kindled the African spirit of those in attendance. The main sponsors, First National Bank and Suzuki Nelspruit, were equally impressed with the evening. Head of fundraising for the Honorary Rangers Lowveld Region, Linda Pieters, said the event exceeded all expectations. 'We are truly blessed with the generosity of our sponsors and the guests who attended. The funds will be used for various approved projects in the Kruger National Park.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
IOL News
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Comrades Marathon runners chipped in with over R6 million for local charities
The CHOC Cows were looking udderly amoozing at their water point in Hillcrest. Image: Supplied This year's Comrades Marathon not only saw thousands of runners pounding the pavement from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, but it also became a powerful catalyst for change, raising over R6 million through the Comrades Marathon Association's Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive. The funds generated during Sunday's event will benefit six deserving charities, each represented by passionate participants aimed at making a difference in their communities. Since its inception in 1996, the Amabeadibeadi initiative has been integral in supporting vital organisations, including the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC), SANParks Honorary Rangers, Community Chest, Rise Against Hunger, Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT), and Childline KwaZulu-Natal. CHOC has emerged as a leading beneficiary this year with R2.5 million raised, thanks in large part to the enthusiasm of the runners known as the "CHOC Cows." Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Manager Jayde McCarthy expressed pride in the fundraising effort. 'We did super well with our cows being absolutely amoozing!' she said. McCarthy highlighted the remarkable contribution of fundraiser Ida van de Wetering, who single-handedly secured R165,000. 'It's incredibly motivating to consider that we are running on behalf of children battling cancer,' she added. The CHOC Cows at their water point in Hillcrest during the Comrades Marathon. Image: Supplied The festive mood at the CHOC water station in Hillcrest was palpable, where participants and supporters danced, mooed, and shared joy with high fives and hugs. 'Our sponsor, Balwin, made that spot possible, and we are so grateful!' McCarthy exclaimed, as vibrant cow prints adorned the space. The SANParks Honorary Rangers team at their watering hole in Camperdown. Image: SANParks Honorary Rangers/ Facebook This year marked the second occasion that SANParks Honorary Rangers participated in the marathon, with representative Peter Zietsman sharing insights about their commitments: 'Due to financial limitations, we have certain capital expenditure requirements that cannot be met. Events like these allow us to fill those gaps for SANParks to achieve its objectives in terms of community responsibilities.' Their watering hole, featuring two grand blow-up elephants, served as a reminder of their mission to protect South Africa's natural heritage. Community Chest's executive director, Gordon McDonald, also spoke passionately about their purpose for the funds raised. 'The money will be spent on early childhood development because there's a critical problem with children not receiving enough early education,' he explained. The Community Chest team at their refreshment station. Image: Community Chest/ Facebook With a focus on offering nutritious food and stimulating educational programmes, Community Chest supports approximately 7,800 children daily in vulnerable areas around Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Their refreshment station, strategically placed 1.5 km from the finish line, became a point of encouragement for runners along the challenging route.
IOL News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Over R6 million raised for charities at the Comrades Marathon
The CHOC Cows were looking udderly amoozing at their water point in Hillcrest. Image: Supplied Over R6 million has been raised under the Comrades Marathon Association's Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive. These are the Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC), SANParks Honorary Rangers, Community Chest, Rise Against Hunger, Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust (HACT) and Childline KwaZulu-Natal. CHOC Cows manager Jayde McCarthy said: 'We did super well with our cows being absolutely amoozing!!!!' On Monday morning, McCarthy said they had raised R2,5m. 'Our highest fundraiser is Ida van de Wetering, who has raised R165k to date.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The CHOC Cows at their water point in Hillcrest during the Comrades Marathon. Image: Supplied McCarthy expressed gratitude to Van de Wetering and said they were proud of her. McCarthy mentioned that they had approximately 300 runners, but she had not yet checked their performance. McCarthy said it is incredibly motivating to remember they were doing this for children battling cancer. On Sunday, the CHOC Cows had a water point in Hillcrest, with an 'amoozing' vibe with fun, dancing, mooing and cow bells. 'It was amoozing! There was cow print everywhere, the supporters were phenomenal, handing out high fives, hugs, nutrition, hydration and mootivation! Our sponsor, Balwin, made that spot possible, and we are so grateful!' McCarthy exclaimed. The SANParks Honorary Rangers team at their watering hole in Camperdown. Image: SANParks Honorary Rangers/ Facebook Ahead of the marathon, SANParks Honorary Rangers' Peter Zietsman said the 98th edition of the Comrades Marathon was their second opportunity to be of assistance and participate and become beneficiaries. SANParks Honorary Rangers had a watering hole in Camperdown with two huge blow-up elephants. Zietsman said that due to fiscal limitations, SANParks has certain capital expenditure requirements that cannot be fulfilled within the current fiscal period. 'So what we do is we launch projects like this and we collect funds that we are able to fill those gaps of needs for SANParks, so they can reach their objectives in terms of community responsibilities and things like that,' Zietsman said. 'So it's financial, it's boots on the ground, it's activities providing assets for SANParks to function correctly.' The Community Chest team at their refreshment station. Image: Community Chest/ Facebook Community Chest executive director Gordon McDonald said: 'That money will be spent on early childhood development (ECD) because there's a critical problem with children not getting enough early education, and they're not finishing school, and they're not going to university and entering into the cycle of poverty. 'Good early childhood development, nutritious food, and good school stimulation programs are absolutely vital if you want to give a child a chance in life, and every child in every community deserves that chance.' McDonald said they work with children in vulnerable communities and currently support about 7,800 children every day around Pietermaritzburg and Durban. 'We have focused our Comrades money on ECD for about 18 years now, and it is making a difference, and it's nice to see.' Community Chest had a refreshment station outside Kingsmead Toyota, 1.5km from the finish line.
