Bright Start Amazing Race raises R15k for education

The race saw 17 teams made up of advertising and PR agencies, school teachers, families and groups of friends, racing around Cape Town in an effort to find and solve clues in what was dubbed a "Race for a Reason".

Teams were taken to iconic sites which had them counting steps at Rhodes Memorial, feeding seagulls in Hout Bay, busking for money in Camps Bay, and buying and selling items for profit at the V&A Waterfront, all in the name of education empowerment.

The R15,000 raised will contribute to funding seven underprivileged children joining Bright Start's programme. The children will be given the opportunity to attend prominent local schools and will receive ongoing support, giving them the best opportunity to learn and excel. Bright Start assists 26 children and this number will increase to 33 in 2014. Sponsorship amounts to R35,000 a child each year.

In addition to school fees, Bright Start also sponsors uniforms, sports activities, cultural outings and even birthday parties, enabling the sponsored children to have the same opportunities and exposure as privileged children.

The Wingers, an all "boys" team from the WI Group were the winners on the day and took home the floating trophy which was awarded to the team that most embodied the spirit of the event.

"The Bright Start Amazing Race will become an annual occasion and we'd love to see more and more teams join us so that we can continue to make a significant and relevant difference in the lives of underprivileged children in Hout Bay," said Carolynne Stelling, executive director at Bright Start.

For more, go to www.brightstart.org.za.