The inaugural Mandela Day was held on 18 July 1994 to mark South African icon and former President Nelson Mandela’s 91st birthday.
People around the world were encouraged to dedicate 67 minutes of their day to community service in commemoration of the sixty-seven years since Mandela dedicated his life to the struggle for equality in South Africa. It proved such a success that the United Nations adopted it as a day for global humanitarian action in celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy and called it Nelson Mandela International Day.
This decision transformed the day into a celebration of Mr Mandela’s life and legacy, serving as a reminder that positive change begins with small, selfless, individual actions and that through positive actions, everyone has the ability to change the world.
67 Minutes
Nick Gordon (photo: supplied)
RIAR’s Nick Gordon said that given the importance of the day, Racing, It’s A Rush wanted to find a way to give back and will be focussing their efforts towards supporting Horse Care Units around the country. “What better way for the racing community to give back than to try and help out the Unit that takes on and helps rehome horses after their racing careers? Given the recent negative criticism of racing, we feel it is important to show people that we are a community that cares, especially about the athletes we rely on to make the game what it is.”
There is a drive to collect donations (anything from unwanted / surplus tack, feed or even financial contributions) which Racing, It’s A Rush will deliver to the Horse Care Units when they visit on Tuesday to assist with grooming, mucking out and any odd jobs that might need taking care of. “Sometimes hands on involvement goes a little further than just handing over a cheque and we feel it’s that human element that really makes a difference,” says Nick.
Racing, It’s A Rush has arranged 3 drop off points around the country and if anyone would like to make a contribution, contacts and drop off points are Teresa Esplin at Kenilworth Racecourse, Darren McEwan at Turffontein and Karin le Roux at Fairview.
