Maties rector and vice-chancellor, Professor Wim de Villiers, led a team of alumni, staff, students and friends of Stellenbosch University (SU) in the Cape Town Cycle Tour on Sunday, this time to raise money for the student-led #Move4Food campaign.
It was the third time that Professor De Villiers sweated for a good cause.
In March 2018 he tackled the Cape Town Cycle Tour to commemorate the university’s centenary and raise money for student bursaries, and in September last year he ran the 42.2km Sanlam Cape Town Marathon – also in aid of #Move4Food.
The campaign kicked off in August 2018 with an ambitious target of R10 million.
The aim is to end student hunger on SU’s campuses by establishing sustainable food banks. The campaign has been well supported so far in various ways. To date, over R1 million in donations and goods have been raised, with the campaign set to end on April 19.
In the 27-member #Maties100 team on Sunday were students from SU’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences on the Tygerberg campus, who last year cycled all the way from Vioolsdrift on the Namibian border to Cape Agulhas in support of #Move4Food – a distance of 902 km.
The group – consisting of Breda Reed, Mias Marais, Luke Titus, Christoff Greyling and Wonderboy Nkosi – managed to raise over R59 000.
Professor De Villiers said: “A recent study by the National Research Foundation revealed that more than 30% of university students in South Africa are food insecure.
“This affects not only their academic results, but their fundamental human dignity. Maties students are creating food banks to ensure that none of their mates go to class on an empty stomach. The initiative has my full support. I would greatly appreciate yours.”
