Cape Town - Gale force winds and heavy rain
led to the cancellation of the second half of the 21st Cape Town International
Kite Festival on Sunday, leaving organisers R300 000 in the red.
The two-day festival, which is non-profit
organisation Cape Mental Health’s biggest annual fundraiser, was called off on
Sunday morning, organisers said.
- PICS: International Kite Festival Day 1
The funds raised are used to finance
upliftment programmes focused on children and adults affected by mental
disabilities.
“It’s a major blow financially,” said CMH’s
deputy director Vimla Pillay.
“The kite festival is our biggest
fundraising and awareness event of the year. We had a wonderful day on
Saturday, but Sunday is traditionally our busiest day. We expected to generate
at least R300 000, money that we plough directly into providing vital mental
health services.”
Kite enthusiasts from across the country as
well as Germany, the Netherlands and the UK took part in the festival and have
been flying their creations for the past few days with children from CMH’s
special education and care centres in Heideveld and Khayelitsha.
The City of Cape Town’s Disaster Risk
Management were on high alert on Sunday following the South African Weather
Services’ warning of heavy rain for Sunday in parts of the metro, Cape
Winelands, Overberg and Eden District.
Despite this no reports of flooding were
received, said spokesperson Charlotte Powell.
