Runner raises over R30k for children’s facial operations – SABC News

The Miles for Smiles campaign saw endurance runner Patrick Bowman run 100-kilometres over 15 hours to raise funds for life-changing facial operations for children.
A collaboration in partnership with the Smile Foundation, which works with the country’s academic and children’s hospitals to deliver corrective facial reconstructive surgeries and the runner, exceeded on his initial fundraising target.
Bowman’s campaign involved him running a 6.7 kilometre loop on the Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town, a loop which he would run on the hour, every hour.
“It was unbelievable, I went to Tygerberg Hospital with Smile Foundation and I got to meet some of the children, the doctors, the nurses: it was really incredible seeing where the money goes. It’s nice to put a face to what I am doing: everyone there, the parents, the children, they’re all incredibly thankful and supportive, so thank you to them. I can’t wait to keep going and to keep raising money.”
Having started his run at 7AM on the morning of Human Rights Day, Bowman concluded his effort at 10 PM that evening and overshot his initial target of raising R25 000. He has reached over R30 000 and counting as donations are still open.
“The collaboration with Patrick has been awesome, it was good to meet him, he came to Tygerberg to meet our patients and he did so well. He did 100 kms in 15 hours, so that is amazing and whatever monies have been collected for this course, that is amazing and it is going to change children’s lives: it changes families’ lives, it changes them and for their future. Because these children, they are bullied, they are called names because they look different, they feel different, their self-esteem is low, but one safe-have is these operations, which, the money collected for these operations: it makes a huge difference. Children, their whole outlook, their parents: they share that excitement of the operation. So Patrick’s course and the collaboration with him has been incredible and it’s going to help quite a number of children,” says Smile Foundation Western Cape regional co-ordinator, Wendy Canterbury.
The experience, while resulting in life-changing operations for the children set to benefit, has also been a highlight of Bowman’s life as an endurance runner.
“I love to run half-marathons, I’m starting to move into trail running a bit more and then I did a similar backyard ultra last year which I ended up winning so that was definitely a highlight for me and I don’t want to foreshadow anything for me, but maybe this?”
The fundraiser remains open on Bowman’s Miles For Smiles BackaBuddy page, while the work of the Smile Foundation is also ongoing via their various events, throughout the year.
-Report by Tando Ntunja 

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