With the summer rains falling throughout KwaZulu-Natal and 2021 MyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon fever taking hold, paddlers are starting to take advantage of the option to join the charity batch ahead of the race from 18-20 February.
Every year the money raised from the Dusi charity batch is split two ways with money going to the hard-working Duzi Umgeni Conservation Trust (DUCT) and the Valley Chiefs Fund – a fund set up in support of the communities in the Valley of a Thousand Hills that the race traverses.
DUCT was established in 2006 by paddlers as a way to champion the environmental health of the uMsundusi and uMgeni Rivers. The role that DUCT plays in trying to conserve the river systems is a continuous project.
General Manager of DUCT Faye Brownell and her team appreciate all the assistance they can get in the ongoing fight against river pollution.
“The health of the Dusi River is very poor,” Brownell said frankly. “Industrial spills, raw sewage, and volumes of solid waste are an ongoing nightmare. DUCT works tirelessly at local, community, and government level to find ways to bring sustainable positive improvements. But the job is bigger than just DUCT.”
The charity batch has been set up to help DUCT when their funding might not cover certain projects and Brownell is hopeful that paddlers for the 2021 Dusi will dig deep into their pockets for a spot in the prestigious batch.
“We all need to value the river as a part of our community. Paddlers have a key role as the eyes and ears on the ground, reporting their concerns.
“Paddlers can also be community mobilisers, highlighting the importance of good river health, and raising funds to help organisations like DUCT.
“The Dusi Charity Batch is one of these ways to help. Do your bit – bid high, raise the stakes, and help us to keep up the work on the Dusi!” she added enthusiastically.
The Valley Chiefs Fund is an organisation that benefits through donations toward projects that are needed through the valley.
There are a number of different communities that the race moves through and with this money they work on uplifting the local people.
The bidding process for the charity batch has a few rules that need to be adhered to throughout.
Paddlers need to post a minimum bid of R1000 to get themselves in the running for a spot in the batch, however there are only 60 places in the batch that will make up G Batch which starts at 06:50am on Thursday of Dusi.
The convenience of starting at the same early time on each day of the race is hugely appealing given the possibility of temperatures soaring later in the day.
The MyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon Charity Batch is open with bidding closing on 11 February 2021.
Click here for more information – https://dusi.co.za/charity-batch/
The 2021 MyLife Dusi Canoe Marathon takes place from 18-20 February 2021.