The Legacy of Love cycling team will participate in next month’s Nedbank Desert Dash to raise money for families that lost loved ones from the virulent Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, the Legacy of Love team will have 46 riders, of which two of the two-man teams are sponsored by Nedbank Namibia.
Team member, Ronel de Beer said the team hopes to raise money to assist children who lost their parents to the virus.
“We cherish our relationship with Nedbank and the organisers because, without their support, we could not have reached the number of participants that we did,” she said.
Legacy of Love was established in 2017 after De Beer and her husband Sybrand lost their 11-year-old daughter Lumé to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).
Lumé’s incredible love for life and the writings in her journal about love inspired her parents to use this platform to share the family’s story, inspire, heal, comfort, and relate to other parents in similar situations.
De Beer, with several Desert Dash races under her belt, said every year the Dash is unique. “I believe we will once again have a challenging time, especially this year, and we just have to tackle it with the best attitude and mindset possible. As Legacy of Love riders, we have an impact on the sport and the community with our message of having faith, maintaining hope and giving love, especially in times like these.”
Legacy of Love projects includes Act of Kindness Comfort Boxes - personalised boxes given to people who are facing trauma in life, such as the loss of a loved one, serious illness, divorce, retrenchment, and so forth.
“Each box has a message of faith, hope and love, with items that will comfort, soothe and give you hope. The recipient will know that someone cares and understands.”
The second project is Buddy Bench at primary schools. The buddy bench eliminates loneliness and fosters friendships on the playground.
“Show love to other children, stop bullying, and comfort those that feel alone. Ultimately, children should use the bench to spread hope, love, and faith. A strong message of caring and love accompanies the benches,” she explained.
Another project involves teams or individuals who can participate in the Legacy of Love clothing and create awareness and funding for projects. Legacy of Love also holds retreats for families, children, and teams to recover and rebuild through specific programmes.
Riders for the team in next month’s Nedbank Desert Dash are: Anri Parker, Danie van Aswegen, Jan van Blerk, Hentie Hough, John Valentine, Pierre Lambert, Joachim Klitske, Daneel van der Walt, Tjaart van der Walt, Cobus de Waal, Francois Smit, Johan Fourie, Gert Maritz, Gregor von Medeazza, Sybrand and Ronel de Beer, Johan and Adriana de Beer, Johann Liebenberg, Anja Potgieter, Gerard Tromp, Schalk van der Merwe, Kallie Grunschloss, JG van der Westhuizen, Hannes Tait, Grant and Petra Müller, André Delport, André Smit, Ingram & Jo van Heerden, Johann & Christine Mouton, Philippus & Christelle Tromp, Cyril Kitching, Karel Esterhuizen, Clinton Mcelhone and Jean Langeveldt.