Heart-warming support for Isability Golf Day

Date: 18 August 2023 By: 

A cheerful bunch of Isability staff members, volunteers and golfers embraced the sunny conditions on Saturday, 12 August, at the Soutpansberg Golf Club to compete in the popular annual Isability Golf Day.

All the 4-balls teed off together at 11:00 after a 'shotgun start'. “We were privileged to have a few amputees taking up their golf clubs and participating in the day's competition. In fact, the winning 4-ball was a Jumping Kids 4-ball, which included a local amputee,” said Sandy James of the Isability Sports Club.

Also in attendance was Johan Snyder. As founder of Jumping Kids, Isability Gauteng and Ice-xpress Prosthetics, Snyders drove up from Pretoria, together with the Pretoria ambassador for Jumping Kids, Tebogo Mofokeng. Tebogo is a double amputee whose prosthetics are provided by Jumping Kids. He recently competed at the World Para-athletics Championships in Paris.

Mofokeng used the opportunity on Saturday to create awareness of the importance of education for children with amputations, and the value of the children’s receiving a prosthetic  to be able to access education. He was joined by the Limpopo Junior ambassador for Jumping Kids, local Grade 7 learner Vhutuhawe Nemutandani. Jumping Kids brought along their own photographer, Martin Potgieter, who captured the images on the day. The golfers were all also eager to experience driving off a prosthetic leg at one of the tee-boxes. This gave them a small taste of what it is like to stand, balance and function with the aid of prosthetic limbs.

The Isability and Jumping Kids volunteers and staff were heartened to see the enthusiasm with which everyone, including the serious golfers, approached the day. After a fun day out on the golf course, everyone gathered around to enjoy delicious potjiekos prepared by Alwyn from Die Boer Roer, and Isability's Elmarie Buys. A new and vibrant business in town, 'Studio 1' set up their coffee stall to satisfy everybody’s coffee needs. Another exhibition that represented a new business in town was the Nyathi leather business that produces hand-stitched, quality leather products.

“Isability would like to thank the Soutpansberg Golf Club captain, green-keeper, secretary and all the club staff for all their hard work to make the day possible,” said Sandy. They also wished to thank all their sponsors without whom valuable funds would not have been collected towards the various Isability and Jumping Kids projects. “There were also anonymous donors and a number of golfers from Soutpansberg Golf Club who spontaneously 'chipped' in to augment the funds - thank you. A sincere thanks to all the Isability volunteers who spent the day working hard, assisting and taking hands to make a difference,” said Sandy.

Sponsors of the day included the Zoutpansberg Private Hospital, Komatsu, Jumping Kids, Zoutnet, Dries Briers, Surat Patel, National Velvet Pollination Services and Honey, SACM, JFE Maintenance, Limpopo Caterers, Nyathi Leather, NTT Toyota LTT, Die Boer Roer (Alwyn), Ocean Basket and OJ's, Soutpansberg Valley Flowers, Emmanuel Christian School, Vhavenda Bricks, Tsonga textiles, Potgieter Boerdery and Studio 1 coffee and eatery.

“We are looking forward to creating a greater footprint for people with disabilities in the Limpopo Province and, by the grace of God, creating all sorts of exciting opportunities for people with disabilities,” said Sandy. Snyders, as a prosthetic specialist, visits the Zoutpansberg Private Hospital in Louis Trichardt once a month to consult with patients from across the Limpopo Province with mobility difficulties or mobility rehabilitation needs, among others. “People with mobility questions or issues in need of an orthotist or prosthetist, are welcome to contact Ice-xpress office on  079 877 3117,” said Sandy. She also invited any community members who wish to make their hands or feet available at Isability functions to phone her at 084 506 3333.

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