Cape Town - Ryan “Choppy” Pike, a 29-year-old model from Hout Bay, is on a mission to make a difference in the lives of animals in need.
Through the launch of crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy, Ryan hopes to benefit the Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha, an animal advocacy organisation that he has connected with.
On February 16, Pike, who is an animal lover at heart, will be pushing his limits to the extreme by running the Tankwa Crossing, a 207 km Ultra Marathon from Calvinia to Ceres, to raise funds for the Mdzananda Animal Clinic.
The race, which takes place during one of the hottest months of the year, with temperatures reaching around 50 degrees Celsius, is a gruelling single stage race with a cut off time of 50 hours.
“I grew up with many different cats and dogs around in the house and they’ve always been a huge part of my life. I feel like animals are capable of turning a house into a home, they’re furry best friends who are always excited to see you,” said Pike.
“That’s why I can’t stand the thought of animals suffering and not receiving the care they need. That’s why I am doing this, for them. For the animals that can’t speak for themselves, I want to be their voice,” he said.
The campaign, which has already raised over R45 000 towards his fundraising target of R100 000, will benefit the clinic which is currently running over the carrying capacity of their facilities.
Funds raised will contribute towards a new inverter to protect the organisation’s digital X-ray machine from potential damage due to load shedding and the power cuts South Africa is facing.
“I’m sure every South African can relate to the frustrations of having to deal with load shedding, which is bad enough. However, fear of losing a pivotal piece of equipment used to help the animals in your care tends to elevate the stress levels by a couple of notches. Hence the push to raise funds and buy the clinic some insurance in the form of a new inverter.
“Thank you so much to all those who have shown support through messages, follows or opening their wallets for the cause,” he said.
Support Pike’s campaign via BackaBuddy: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/mdzanada-animal-clinic-5439671472612968790
Alternatively, donate via Snapscan: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/Mdzananda_Animal_Clinic
Follow Pike’s Instagram for updates: https://www.instagram.com/distance4dogs/
Cape Times