Join us on Saturday the 26th of November for another fabulous afternoon:- Relax & unwind in our beautiful garden & enjoy gourmet coffee, pancakes, boerie rolls & more including a free beginners Salsa dance class at 12h00 – join the fun!

We’re hoping to raise even more than last year, and need your help to reach our target – please spread the word to family & friends.

Find us @ 36 Airlie Place, Constantia https://goo.gl/maps/gmHEcnEyEKV1gtt29

Big thank you to our sponsors for their support : – Equleni Guest Farm, Okja, Den Anker Belgian restaurant, Cattle Baron Constantia and Side Step studio.

We are paying tribute to all SMA warriors around the world. To our heroes who have lost the battle with SMA and earned their angel wings we will always remember Riley Austin, Aidan Press and Dante Vorster. To our warriors living with SMA, for your courage, strength and zest for life in the face of daily challenges, we salute Hanno, Aimee, Gabriel, Ielyaaz, Ntando, Liam, Kerry, Jessica and Marc.

Join us on the 12th of August and light a candle at 8pm in remembrance of all those who earned their angel wings and to honour all young people battling with SMA. Share your photos with us.

SMA facts:

• Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a rare inherited genetic muscle wasting disease that is characterised by a loss of nerve cells called motor neurons
• It is the #1 genetic killer of children under the age of 2.
• One in every 6000 children born are affected by SMA
• SMA Type 0 and Type 1 are most severely affected by the quickly increasing muscle weakness.
• Approximately one out of 40 people, carry this gene.
• SMA does not discriminate, it can affect any race, religion, culture, geographical location or age. On December 23, 2016 the FDA announced that it has approved SpinrazaTM (nusinersen) to treat spinal muscular atrophy, making it the first-ever FDA-approved therapy for SMA. Those being treated with Spinraza have shown amazing improvement. Currently unavailable in South Africa, we are hoping it will be made available and at an affordable cost so that all affected can benefit.

Hanno’s wheels have arrived! And what a difference it has made. Thank you CTCT riders for helping to make this a reality! Here’s a message from Chantelle, Hanno’s mom.

To all Hanno fans and supporters. Hanno received his new Netti electric wheelchair, supplied by Sitwell Technologies, and the moment was filled with so many mixed feelings. Cries and laughter.
Our Hanno went from a little boy to a young man over night. His first two requests when in the chair for the first time were:- “I want to get a red toffee and a Steri stumpie from the kitchen” and “Please open the front door I want to go!”

We have never looked back. The process of adapting our home to make it more wheelchair friendly is in the planning phase. Hanno practices driving his new chair in Tygervalley and other big stores. He recently had his first minor collision with shelves in Musica 😲.
Hanno, now more than ever, has more self confidence that leaves us standing with pride. He goes to girls and greets them. They stand amazed and chat back with a big big smile. Enjoying his wheels with a song in his heart. He even gives his friends lifts sometimes! ❤ To many more miles!

Zena is 15 years old and suffers from Spina Bifida and due to that she presents like a paraplegic, she is not able to walk, stand or do standing transfers . She is academically strong and super sporty. She is part of the western province sports team for field events such as shot put, discus, javelin and this year she is once again going to National games.  With the help of our Cape Town Cycle Tour riders we were able to fund Zena’s new wheelchair. With such dedication we see Zena going far!

We can only imagine the upset and initial frustration you must have all felt at the decision that was made calling the Cycle Tour off yesterday.

For many of you we are sure it was a first Tour which you had trained for and were excited and ready for !!!
Mother Nature threw a curve ball and the 40th Tour was not to be ……… your safety was a priority.
We would like to thank you for the enthusiasm and support you gave the Bumble Bee Fund,
It is with great excitement that we can say that collectively you raised an incredible R165400.00 !!

Thank you all for your generosity and willingness to participate in our cause.

The Bumble Bee Fund would love to have you on board again so please keep in touch and let us know if we should keep a spot for you in our bond.

Stay safe and keep cycling.

A huge shout out to Kerston Foods for their generous donation to the Bumble Bee Fund and the difference that has made to Sammi and his family.

This cheerful, fun loving little guy loves his hippotherapy sessions and now thanks to Kerston Foods he can continue. What is hippotherapy? Hippotherapy is a treatment strategy that utilizes equine movement. Specially trained therapists use this treatment for children with movement dysfunction. The movement of the horse influences the child, who then responds to these movements.

This therapy has been crucial to helping Sammi overcome some very serious physical challenges around his low muscle tone. After the medical aid could no longer commit to paying, Sammi was unable to continue with his therapy due to financial constraints. Now Sammi is back on the horse and loving it!

Says mum and dad: We are jubilant and so very excited to see Sammi continuing the hippo therapy. It is such a joy to see not only how the horse riding mobilises him physically, but also how the connection with the horse and the whole experience of riding like a ‘big boy’ engages him emotionally!! We believe that this form of therapy has been such an excellent tool for his physical and emotional development. We are so very grateful to the Bumblebee Fund for their incredible donation to assist us with this therapy. We are blown away by your generosity. Thank you also to Sleepy Hollow for being such wonderful and dedicated team.

Gabriel is 13 years old and has Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Two of our Cape Town Cycle Tour riders, Andrew and Lisa-Jo Austin, are riding this Cycle Tour for Gabriel and in honour of their son, Riley, who had Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1.

Gabriel has SMA like Riley had and is in desperate need of new wheels. He can no longer sit in an upright wheelchair and needs to lie flat. He needs a new wheelchair to get mobile again. Please help us make it happen by making a donation to the Bumble Bee Fund using the reference: Gabriel.

Wishing all the kids riding the Junior Cape Town Cycle Tour this morning a fun & safe ride !!! Thank you for Riding 4 Riley. #ride4riley

Every year enthusiastic junior cyclists sign up to ride for the Bumble Bee Fund in the Junior Cape Town Cycle Tour. Wearing yellow Bumble Bee t-shirts they cycle for a cause and raise money for Bumble Bee beneficiaries………

This year we are doing things slightly differently, we are selling fabulous one of a kind t-shirts in memory of Riley Austin who was one of the funds most avid supporters !

Please support us by buying a Smiley Riley t-shirt filled with past cycle tour photos – for R150 and cycle the Junior Cape Town Cycle Tour, wearing it in Riley’s memory.

Riley was born with Spinal muscular atrophy type 1. He couldn’t lift his arms, legs, head, sit unsupported, or swallow, even when he lost his ability to pull off his famous smile due to muscle weakness in his face, he had no trouble letting us know that he was in fact happy. Riley Austin touched the lives of all who knew and met him. He will forever live on in our hearts 💙

Email : admin@bumblebeefund.co.za to place an order !!!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a wonderful festive season! Thank you for your support this year.