This event, established in 1968 with the main purpose of raising funds to feed hungry schoolchildren, has become one of the major highlights on the Cape Town events calendar. It will commence from the Cape Town stadium loop along the promenade and end with its usual fun, food and festivities at the Green Point Cricket Club.
The mandate of PSFA's Blisters for Bread this year is not only to mobilise people to walk or pledge donations towards the feeding of hungry schoolchildren, but to also raise awareness about the benefits of school feeding overall. Research shows that school feeding helps in the following ways:
Food Security: By providing much needed meals, strain on families to provide additional nutritious food is reduced.
Nutrition: Eating at school is shown to increase the nutritional status of young children.
Education: School feeding helps improve children's educational profile by increasing school attendance, cognitive abilities, concentration and marks. It is shown to decrease drop-out rates - a common problem in South Africa.
Health: A child that eats a balanced meal is less likely to suffer from illness related to malnutrition and this takes strain off the health system and the tax payer.
Gender Equality: Studies show in certain cases, girls have to help with household chores and care work. School feeding takes strain off the household and allows them to stay in school.
Strengthening our Economy: By feeding children and keeping them in school, it improves the chances of them entering the tertiary educational system which in turn feeds the job market and strengthens our economy.
Nurturing futures: By nurturing children though school feeding, it not only helps to build children from a physiological point of view, but it helps to build them up in life emotionally and psychologically.
The entry fee for Blisters for Bread this year is R50 which will feed 25 hungry school children for an entire day. Entries are now open and are limited to 12,000 walkers. Enter online or download a copy of the entry form by visiting www.psfa.org.za. Entry forms can also be collected and dropped off at the Top Events offices (7 Koeberg Rd, Maitland) or from the following Sportsmans Warehouse branches: Rondebosch, Sea Point, Tyger Valley and Canal Walk.
If you are unable to walk Blisters for Bread this year, then PSFA encourages both Cape Town locals and the rest South Africa's public, and businesses and schools to consider making a monetary contribution. This can be done by logging onto their website www.psfa.org.za. All donations will be used solely for school feeding and are tax-deductible.
Hospitality packages are available for schools and corporates. For enquiries, contact Charles Grey at PSFA.
PSFA is a registered non-profit organisation dedicated to feeding hungry children while at school. PSFA was formed in 1958 and currently provides nutritious cooked meals to over 26,000 children at 145 primary, secondary and special-needs schools as well as OVC's and ECD's throughout the Western Cape. PSFA has to date served over 1.5 billion meals to underprivileged school children.
For more information please visit http://www.psfa.org.za/ or contact: Charles Grey az.gro.afsp@selrahc, 021 447 6020.
PSFA on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PSFA.org
PSFA on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SchoolFeeding
