BRAAM MALHERBE, BACKS THE RHINOS ARE C
THE RHINOS ARE COMING!!! CAPTURES THE IMAGINATION AND HITS THE CAPE
LEADING CONSERVATIONIST, BRAAM MALHERBE, BACKS THE RHINOS ARE COMING
6 April saw the official launch of The Rhino’s Are Coming – Grand Rhino Roadshow in Greenmarket Square, Cape Town. Eight life-size rhino artworks were unveiled for the first time to a rousing send off before hitting the road on their carnival float to tour Cape Town and the Winelands to fulfil their mission to win fans and inspire businesses and individuals to sponsor more rhinos. The Rhinos Are Coming!!! is a non-profit organisation raising funds to secure a safer future for our rhinos in the wild.
This eight-month sponsorship drive will lead up to The Rhinos Are Coming three-month exhibition during the summer of 2017/2018 of one hundred or more life-size rhino sculptures transformed by South Africa’s talented artists, famous and emerging, into unique, whimsical, humorous, dazzling, contemporary works of art. The rhinos will then be exhibited at high-foot-traffic locations all around greater Cape Town and the Winelands for all to see. One hundred or more of the transformed rhinos will then be auctioned and the proceeds will be donated to StopRhinoPoaching.com.100% of funds raised by StopRhinoPoaching.com goes to supply game reserves on the front line of poaching with essential equipment and services, such as tracker dogs, ranger kits, ranger training, light aircraft, etc.
While Capetonians are far removed from the frontline of poaching, it nevertheless impacts whether or not our future generations will ever see a rhino. The awareness and educational opportunities associated with The Rhinos are Coming are many.
Greetings from the mid-South Atlantic Ocean came from extreme adventurer, motivational speaker and conservationist, Braam Malherbe, who said, “I have been at sea rowing our little boat, Mhondoro (which means ‘lion spirit’), from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro for 58 days today. Thus far, my rowing partner, Wayne Robertson, and I have rowed over 6 500 km’s non-stop and expect to reach Rio in the next four weeks. The purpose of this expedition is to get millions of people to DOT; to Do One Thing, for the earth. Most of you here this evening are Doing One Thing; to help save the rhinos from imminent extinction. What an indictment on humanity, indeed, on every South African, if we allow this to happen! It is our duty, as custodians of this planet to do everything conceivably possible to stop this horrific butchery. The poaching of our rhino is a symbol of a much bigger problem – greed and ignorance. Just as we say, as a united South Africa tomorrow, “No more”, to Zuma, so we must stand equally united and say “No more” to the butchery of this iconic species! I urge all of you to Do One Thing, to DOT, and support The Rhinos are Coming as a proudly South African and most laudable initiative. I wish you all well as we row into the night.”
The brainchild of Cape Town designer, Janice Ashby, The Rhinos Are Coming!!! is based on the famous USA outdoor art exhibition company ‘Cow Parade’. Janice witnessed with awe the brightly coloured cows that drew thousands of visitors to cities, as well as the funds they raised from a fascinated public. Returning to South Africa in 2011 and discovering the depth of the rhino plight, Janice resolved to do more than just talking about it. The result is The Rhinos are Coming!!!.
The eight fabulous rhino art pieces to date have been created by both emerging and world-renowned artists Andrew Hart Adler, Beezy Bailey, Children of the Lalela Project, Jade Doreen Waller, Lionel Smit, Nardstar*, Nasser Zadeh and Peter Gray. The first prestigious rhino sponsors demonstrated their confidence by sponsoring the creation of the first eight rhinos. Belmond Mount Nelson, One & Only Hotel, Carlston Rezidor Hotel Group, The Alphen, Timeless Africa Safaris, Africa Secrets, Rhino Disharmony, Pamela Isdell a passionate rhino supporter and Stenströms SA enabled the programme to begin.
The Rhinos Are Coming are confident that high bidders and collectors will compete at the auctions to own such unusual and exclusive works of art.
BY BEING A SPONSOR, PARTNER OR COLLABORATOR BRANDS will enjoy the following significant exposure
* Achieve substantial media exposure for sponsors
* Help bring visitors to Cape Town.
* Help stimulate the local economy
* Improve the triple bottom line of profit, people and planet
* Engage staff and customers
Janice Ashby, founder and project manager of The Rhinos are Coming, says, “By becoming rhino sponsors, companies and individual sponsors will benefit from one of the most spectacular attractions ever to hit Cape Town. We invite sponsors to help lead the stampede.”
Readers who would like to contribute to the cause can contact Janice Ashby on + 27 72 473 5596 or ja@therhinosarecoming.org