Four staff members at Yaskawa Southern Africa have taken up the challenge to compete in this year’s Berg & Bush mountain bike event, which takes place in October 2018, while at the same time raising funds for two non-profit organisations, the Kitty and Puppy Haven and Get up Woman.
“The Berg & Bush has long been a favourite event amongst mountain bikers who enjoy quality trails and tranquil race village life. Yaskawa Southern Africa has a number of staff members that are enthusiastic cyclists and have competed in many events before so we are not novices. However, four of us have decided that we wanted to make a difference in someone’s life if we competed in this year’s race. We decided on raising funds for charities of our choice, however small,” said Kurt Rosenberg, Managing Director of Yaskawa Southern Africa.
“We will be out there having fun and although we will be shattered, as will many other competitors, by the end of the race we will be able to feel proud and rest a little easier knowing that our efforts to raise funds for those in need of them would ultimately have been worthwhile.”
“With the help of generous sponsorships from some of our valued partners, funds will be raised and donated to Get up Woman, a women’s support non profit organisation (NPO) that now has over 25 000 members and a support team of therapists, counsellors and attorneys. The NPO endeavours to assist women to change their own lives, to become sustainable, while still holding them accountable. The NPO’s aim is to extend their support by including GPs, nurses and child psychologists in the future,” explained Rosenberg.
“The second NPO is Kitty and Puppy Haven, which rescues neglected, abused and abandoned animals.”
“The Berg & Bush event, now in its 12th year, is held over three days and starts on Windmill Farm, which is situated just inside the border of KwaZulu-Natal, and is conveniently located halfway between Johannesburg and Durban, in an area landscaped by the beauty of the vast Drakensberg mountain range.”
“The route drops down the escarpment through historical areas, farmland and bushveld while hugging the Tugela River. Riders will encounter single track and challenging climbs each day and by the time they reach the finish they would have covered just over 200 kilometres and descended nearly 3 500 metres.”
“Myself and Andrew Crackett from our head office in Johannesburg will be competing. We will be joined by Sean Low from our Durban, KwaZulu-Natal office as well as our Cape Town based agent Sean Irwin from Productive Engineering.”
“We have managed to secure some very generous support from our partners Axelent, Varispeed and SKS Welding Systems and one of our clients Dale Automation. Along with Yaskawa Southern Africa’s logo their logos will be displayed prominently on our riding gear. Monies that they have donated will be handed over to the two charities that we have chosen.”
“We are not sure how many other riders are doing the adventure event to raise funds but we feel privileged to be able to do something that we enjoy and can afford to do while also contributing to society. All that needs to happen now is that all four of us finish but I have no doubts about that.”
For further details contact Yaskawa Southern Africa on TEL: 011 608 3182 or visit www.yaskawa.za.com
