Each year a portion of the full entries into the 5km and 8km walks goes towards two beneficiaries. The first was the Laureus Foundation’s Sport for Good project, and the second was a community project in those areas directly affected by the Walk.
Residents in Emmarentia, Greenside, Parkview and surrounds generously give up their streets on the day.
As such, the Discovery 702 Walk the Talk engages with the Residents’ Associations in these areas to find projects that will enhance their areas, as well as have a positive impact on the broader community.
For the 2012 edition of the Discovery 702 Walk the Talk, the event partnered with the Parkview Resident’s Association to upgrade a basketball court at Zoo Lake.
“Talk Radio 702 is committed to the communities in which we broadcast and we believe that this project has great potential to impact not only on the area in which it is located, but on many individuals from across the city who come to Zoo Lake to play,” said Talk Radio 702 station manager, Pheladi Gwangwa.
“The Discovery 702 Walk the Talk encourages physical activity among individuals as a key element to a healthy lifestyle, so we are delighted to be supporting the growth and development of a sport which is fun, easy to get involved in and gets people moving. It encompasses our philosophy of making people healthier and enhancing and protecting their lives,” said Discovery general manager of marketing Dinesh Govender.
“As sponsors of the Discovery Eagles, we have a longstanding relationship with wheelchair basketball, and are delighted that some of the Eagles could be here today, to show their support for the growth of the sport. The court also features a ramp built specifically for paraplegics to enjoy playing this sport,” continued Govender.
The court, which has been resurfaced, painted and fitted with new hoops, is free and open to the public. Together with the existing court, which is already very popular, the basketball complex draws a cosmopolitan crowd of ballers of all ages and from various backgrounds.
Managed by the City of Joburg’s department of Community Development, the courts are part of a broader movement in basketball promotion around Joburg that includes stakeholders like Basketball SA and the NBA in South Africa.
Basketball is an accessible and engaging sport that is especially appealing to the youth in disadvantaged communities and offers a healthy lifestyle alternative.
The community project that was funded by the previous year’s Discovery 702 Walk the Talk was a bridge made of recycled material, built across a sensitive wetland area in the Emmarentia Botanical Gardens.
The bridge serves the dual purpose of protecting the wetland and allowing visitors a more convenient – and dry – passage through that part of the Gardens.
The Botanical Gardens are open to all and enjoyed by Gautengers from across the Province.
For information on the Discovery 702 Walk the Talk, or to enter, visit
www.walkthetalk.co.za
