World Diabetes Day 2011 – Port Elizabeth – South Africa
World Diabetes Day – Port Elizabeth – South Africa – 2011
Start of Diabetes World Day Walk 2011
World Diabetes Day (Monday 14 November) was officially celebrated with a Diabetes Walk around the North End Lake here in Port Elizabeth in the true Friendly City style with laughter and smiles filling the air today 19 November 2011.
Diabetes South Africa marketing effort has been very successful this year in making the community of Port Elizabeth more aware of Diabetes. Support for the walk around the north-end lake has tripled since last year. Non-diabetics and dogs all came out in force to partake and support this community event to make people more aware of diabetes.
Rotary once again did a fantastic job in organizing this great event, I did not think it would be possible to improve on last year event but they did it. There were security everywhere, the South African Police Service (great bunch of guys) patrolled up and down the route. Nelson Mandel Municipality Traffic department did a fantastic job controlling Saturday morning peak traffic and I even saw Chubb security service along the route.
NMMM traffic
The route was lined with friendly Marshals/Care givers every couple of meters and the people at Sanofi fruit/waterhole deserves a special mention for their friendliness and efficiency.
This year the Fun Walk started at the North End Power Boat Club – then left up past the Coco Cola Factory – Past the old Cadbury gates (which took a lot of will power) – left at the new Aspen pharmacare factory – down to the lake next intramed medical – at the Telkom Technical services yard we turn right up towards the stadium where the Soccer World Cup was held in 2010.
Stadium seen across north end lake
Once reaching the stadium we went left (Milner Rd) over the hill and right into Prince Alfred road past Sydenham Primary School. At the old German repairs shop the route turned right into Fettes Road and back to the Boat Club house again.
Community conscious Companies supported Diabetes Day Fully by providing Free goodies;-
- Free Breakfast was provided by Pronutro
- Free cool drinks, water where supplied and handed out by Quali lite.
- The free novo nordisk goodie bag where loaded with gifts
- A t-shirts by Lily
- Accu-chek holder or cell phone sock (roche)
- Diabion supplement capsules
- Cetaphil Gentle Cleaning lotion
- There where some FutureLife supplements for slow realizing energy
- Hullets supplied Sugalite (powered baking blend)
- There where plenty of fruits available at the breakfast tables and along the route but I could not find out who where responsible for these delicious looking apples and bananas
- Sanofi also distributed handy container bottels
People were reluctant to leave the festivities
To everyone not mentioned thank you for making this a fantastic memorable day. I am certainly looking forward to seeing everyone next year again for World Diabetes Walk in November 2012.
Cheers
PS: Hopefully the organizers can get the Bigger Guys (who have their factories along the route) like Coca Cola, Cadbury’s, Aspin and Telkom to play a more Active roll in World Diabetes Day around the North End Lake – after all these companies do get a lot of support from Diabetics threw out the years.
See more pictures at http://www.facebook.com/pages/What-did-you-do-Today/161137630616087
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Glad to hear the success you had. Yours is one of the few I have even seen reporting on activities. Thanks.
November 21st, 2011 at 02:10
Thanks for stopping Bob, Hope the World Diabetes went OK in Lowa.
It was a nice and cool day here, perfect for walking and it is amazing to see how many people (non-diabetics) are more aware of Diabetes signs symptoms.
Originality I was a bit skeptic about the money that gets spend on events like these – that could have been use in the actual Diabetes community.
But seeing first hand how many people had fun on this walk made everything worth while
November 23rd, 2011 at 19:51