Durban – With the current coronavirus lockdown devastating communities around the world, the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union have put together the Bowl out Hunger campaign where they will be delivering food parcels to cricketing centres and hubs around the province.
The team at the KZN Cricket Union have partnered with Boxer Superstores who will handle all products, packaging and distribution. The project has been boosted by the buy-in from a number of the Hollywoodbets Dolphins sponsors as well as other brands who are trying to help the vulnerable communities through these tough times.
Players and employees of the KZN Cricket Union have also committed to debit orders and other forms of donations to ensure that it is a combined effort from the cricket fraternity.
“We are proud to be working with such powerful brands as Hollywoodbets, Fourways Airconditioning, Sunfoil, SuperSport and Boxer to try and make the lives of our cricketing community a little easier,” CEO of KZN Cricket Heinrich Strydom said.
“The plan is to launch the initiative this weekend on Mandela Day and ultimately get to every Hub player in the province with a food parcel that will include essential foods and masks. Each food parcel will serve four people.”
“We will help over 1650 cricketers and their families along with the 68 coaches that work in the various formal Hubs around KZN. Hopefully we will be able to raise so much money in a sustainable way that we will be able to do more than one drop-off at each hub, as well as being able to assist in those areas that are feeder systems to our formal hubs. That is another 3877 players.”
The coronavirus lockdown has seen millions of jobs lost throughout South Africa and being able to help those that are in the toughest position is a responsibility that KZN Cricket believes needs to be taken on.
“We need to do whatever we can to help and we are calling on all of our fans to come together to assist in donating however much money they can to the cause.”
“Through a lot of small donations we can make a big difference and help those that have supported our teams and those children that will be the future Dolphins and Proteas stars,” Strydom added.
President of KZN Cricket Ben Dladla believes that the cricket fraternity need to stand up and help.
“It’s important that we play our role and look after our future cricketers during this incredibly difficult time,” Dladla said. “We need to come together and donate towards the feeding of our young stars and their families.
“To have it start on Mandela Day is fantastic but we need to continue to be there for our community throughout this devastating period.”
The initiative will be launched on Nelson Mandela Day at the iconic Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium, and will then head to Umlazi for the first drop-off at the Hollywoodbets Umlazi hub.
The following week the initiative will reach out to Verulam, Ilembe, Reservoir Hills, Chatsworth, KwaMashu and Umzinto.
The first phase of the programme will finish with trips to Pietermaritzburg, the Sweetwaters and Imbali regions.
For more information visit www.dolphinscricket.co.za
