The Emerald Resort & Casino will on that day be hosting the Sunflower Bikers for Bandanas Day, a fun day out that aims to raise R1 million for the Sunflower Fund. The fund is a non-profit initiative that fundraises and raises awareness about the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SAMBR), which identifies potential marrow donors for leukaemia patients.
Over 15 000 Gauteng bikers are expected to converge on the Emerald Resort & Casino for Bikers for Bandana Day, which includes a hearty free breakfast, a full day of entertainment, live performances, beer tents and food stalls for an entrance fee of only R100.
On the day of the event registration will be at 6am at these two starting points; Pick n Pay Woodmead for the Jhb and Pta bikers and Pick n Pay Bedworthpark in Vanderbijlpark for the Jhb South, Vaal and Free State bikers. There will be lucky draws throughout the day with spectacular prizes to be won!
Bikers for Bandana Day is supported by former 94.7 Highveld Stereo DJ Jeremy Mansfield - himself a leukaemia survivor and socialite Edith Venter. Event sponsors include The Citizen, Pick n Pay and Fluid Media.
"The South African Bone Marrow Registry receives no government funding, and relies entirely on public support to be able to do its immensely important work. To put things in perspective, leukaemia patients have a 1 in 100 000 chance of being matched to a bone marrow donor, and tissue-typing potential donors costs around R1000 each time.
"The registry currently has around 63 000 donors, so tens of thousands more are needed for it to be viable - and ideally have at least 400 000 donors of all races. This is why the work of the Sunflower Fund, to educate, recruit and raise funds to build and sustain an effective SABMR as a viable source of well-informed, ethnically-diverse potential bone marrow donors, is so critical - and why we should be supporting it.
"As someone who has battled leukaemia, I appreciate the work of the SABMR and the Sunflower Fund more than I can express, and it gives me great pleasure to support this great event," says Mansfield.
Martin Rice, CEO of the Emerald Resort & Casino, says the resort is looking forward to the event.
"We believe passionately in giving back to society, and to say this is a worthy cause to support is an understatement. There is a great need to support the fight against this killer disease, and what better way to do it than by arranging a fantastic day out, and doing good while having a jol?
"And you know it will be fun, with so many bikers expected. They may have a bad-boy reputation, but they're really big teddy bears at heart. They do a lot for charity, and the Sunflower Bikers for Bandanas Day will be no exception," says Rice.
"What with the beautiful summer weather upon us, it's also sure to be a great ride out to the Emerald, which is less than an hour from central Johannesburg. And the cherry on top is that tickets to the entire event, which are available through Computicket, cost only R100!" says Rice.
Tickets are available at Computicket. For further information and queries contact Edith Venter on +27 (0) 11 783 5887 or email Tammy Theron on az.oc.detimilnuhtide@ymmat.
Also go to www.computicket.com, www.edithunlimited.co.za and www.emeraldcasino.co.za.
