Archive for the ‘General’ Category
September 29th, 2011
A record field of over seven thousand walkers is expected to converge on the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium for the annual Discovery Algoa FM Big Walk.
“The event is already one of the biggest of its kind in the Eastern Cape, and we believe it has the potential to get even bigger, with a course that is comfortable for all ages. This year the target is 7 500 participants,” says Algoa FM managing director Dave Tiltmann.
The charity event has been given a boost through a new partner: “We are very pleased to welcome Discovery as our new event partner. Working together, I believe we are building it into one of the premier fun events in the country,” he says.
There has been steady growth in the popularity of the event. In 2010, there were 5 936 entrants – up from 5 439 the year before, and 2 626 in 2008.
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September 26th, 2011
Wilderness Foundation hopes to reach 10,000 on “Save the Rhinos” petition.
In recognition of World Rhino Day on Thursday, September 22, the Wilderness Foundation hopes to reach the “10,000 names” benchmark on its international Save the Rhinos petition (www.wildernessfoundation.co.za/savetherhinos/).
To date, over 9,500 individuals have signed the petition, with comments including, “Don’t let the human race be responsible for the extinction of yet another species!” and “This shocking cruelty must be stopped immediately.”
The Wilderness Foundation launched the Forever Wild – Save the Rhinos campaign in May, 2011. Assisted by Ogilvy Cape Town, and with the support of VW South Africa, the Wilderness Foundation launched the innovative petition to help give a voice to the public’s outcry over the cruelty of rhino poaching. The petition includes a 10-year ‘count-down to extinction’ timer, and for every signature on the petition, a minute is added to the timer.
“We predict that at the current rate of poaching, rhinos in the wild may be extinct in ten years time,” says director of the Wilderness Foundation, Andrew Muir. “As the campaign says, ‘the last wild rhino to die may have already been born’. For every signature on the petition, one extra minute is added to the petition.”
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September 7th, 2011
SEPTEMBER 6 – NELSON Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) has partnered with Lotus FM to celebrate and mark Bok Friday on September 9 at the Donkin Reserve – in true South African style, with a braai and rugby game.
The Bok Friday celebration will also feature the screening of the opening game of the Rugby World Cup between New Zealand and Tonga, starting at 10:30am.
“We are extremely excited about visiting Nelson Mandela Bay. The city welcomed us with enthusiasm in 2006 when we launched Lotus FM there. The love and warmth that the people of Nelson Mandela Bay showed Lotus FM is definitely one of the station’s highlights,” said Pravina Maharaj producer of The Midday Spice show on Lotus FM.
Celebrated Lotus FM presenter Varshan Sookhun of the popular lifestyle show, The Midday Spice, will host his program live from the Donkin Reserve for an audience of Nelson Mandela Bay residents.
Sookhun, 30, has over ten years of professional broadcast experience under his belt, won national acclaim as producer and presenter of the Bollywood Billboard show on Lotus FM. He has hosted and interviewed several prominent Bollywood and South African lifestyle personalities, and has also performed and written Bollywood-themed theatre productions.
Bok Friday will be celebrated with a braai organized by NMBT at the iconic Donkin Reserve in downtown Port Elizabeth. Residents are invited to join the festivities by bringing their braai packs and donning green and gold attire, in celebration of South African rugby. NMBT will provide braai stands and fires.
“This is a true celebration of the South African spirit of Ubuntu. Together with Lotus FM, we are honouring what it means to be South African, basking in the unity of our diversity and showing support for our Springbok World Cup team,” said NMBT marketing manager Titus Chuene.
Bok Friday is part of September’s Tourism Month activities. NMBT recently launched Tourism Month with an initiative calling residents to action – by getting them to tell the tourism organization what they love most about the city.
“We would like to extend a special invitation to the residents of the Friendly City, to come out in big numbers to spend the day with us, celebrating Bok Friday, braaing and interacting with Lotus FM,” Chuene said.
August 4th, 2011
Umzi Wethu Graduates celebrate their graduation: From left to right: Lonwabo Lamani, Busisiwe Loro, Phiwokuhle Nqonqoza, Andrew Muir, Anele Mwrali, Samkele Hinana
Vumile Memese is one of eighteen students to have graduated from the Umzi Wethu hospitality academy. Memese graduated on Friday July 29, 2011 together with 17 other hospitality students and 17 conservation students.
Five years ago, the benchmark Umzi Wethu hospitality academy was established based on a feasibility study that assessed the job qualification needs of Eastern Cape parks and game reserves. Following its success, the Umzi Wethu conservation academy was launched in March 2008 in the rural town of Somerset East. The ceremony marked the graduation of a total of 142 students since the project’s inception.
Headed up by the Wilderness Foundation of South Africa, Umzi Wethu is a one year, social development and intervention programme for displaced and socially vulnerable youth (those who have lost one or both parents, are child headed households or live in households with no formal income).
“I heard about Umzi Wethu through my school principal,” says Memese. “I was looking for work opportunities after I left high school and my principal told me to apply for Umzi. I was so nervous for the selection interviews, I just prayed the whole night. The Umzi Wethu programme has helped me provide for my family. I have five people that depend on me as the provider.”
July 19th, 2011
Putting the cuffs on morning presenters Charlton Tobias (left) and Carol-Anne Kelleher are fellow presenter Daren Mann and police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg.
Algoa FM’s Morning Show team spent the morning in jail on Mandela Day, July 18.
They broadcasted their show from the Seaview police cells outside Port Elizabeth. The special morning show will include clips from speeches by former president Nelson Mandela. Former political prisoner and activist Khusta Jack also joined the team in the studio from eight to share his experiences.
“The team decided to do something special to make a statement about Mandela Day, and thought that broadcasting from a cell would do that”, says Algoa FM programme director Alfie Jay. “We sometimes lose sight of how great a man Nelson Mandela is, and his international stature. He is a son of the Eastern Cape, and we need to honour that. All the speech clips we selected talked about reconciliation and unity – two messages which remain important to the province and all our listeners”, he says.
In addition to the Morning Show, Algoa FM’s Saturday evening presenter Slyso joined a celebration at the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu, where he spent time with young leaders who have grown up in the same area as the former president. These leaders have been inspired to give back through various initiatives at schools and in the
communities surrounding them. Slyso crossed live to Algoa FM to share the Qunu activities with listeners. After they had been released from jail, the Morning Show team planted seedlings in a vegetable garden at The Quest School for Autism as their 67 minute contribution.
“Madiba was president from 1994 to 1999, and there is a whole generation who have grown up perhaps without a full understanding of the contribution he made to our lives.
“Through our broadcasts on Monday we hope to convey some of the ‘Madiba magic’ that makes our first president of a democratic South Africa such a giant on the world stage”, says Jay.
