Latest news with #SPAR
The Citizen
17 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sold out 35th birthday celebration for 12 000 women in Sunday's SPAR Women's Challenge Durban
The SPAR Women's 10km Challenge will celebrate a major milestone on Sunday in Durban as it marks the 35thanniversary of the first SPAR Women's race. The SPAR Women's Challenge was first run in Durban in 1990 and later spread to other cities around the country, making the overall SPAR Challenge the world's biggest woman only street race. Race organizers have confirmed that the 10km race and 5km fun run are sold out. Many of South Africa's elite female athletes will be running on Sunday, 22 June hoping to gain points for the SPAR Grand Prix, which incorporates races in Cape Town, Durban, Tshwane, Gqeberha and Johannesburg. Pretoria's own Glenrose Xaba (Boxer), who last year became the first South African to win the SPAR Grand Prix since international athletes were admitted in 2019, aims to become the third runner, after Rene Kalmer and Irvette van Zyl, to win the title three times. Xaba won the Cape Town SPAR Women's race in March this year. Earlier this month, she ran a personal best in a 5000m track race in France, with a time of 15:10.42, so she is currently in good form and ready for Durban. Hoping to challenge Xaba will be Ethiopian Selem Gebre (Nedbank), who finished second in Cape Town, and young Tuks runner Karabo Mailula, who came third. Gebre finished second overall in the SPAR Grand Prix last year. Other top runners include Cacisile Sosibo (Boxer), who was the second best South African performer in last year's SPAR Grand Prix, and teammates the Phalula twins, Diana-Lebo and Lebogang, who are both former SPAR Grand Prix winners. The 12 000 entrants will each stand a chance win a Hyundai Exter SUV from the lucky draw. 'We are proud to offer our stunning Exter as a prize for the SPAR Women's Challenge. We congratulate the SPAR Durban Challenge on 35 years of women empowerment through sport, while inspiring the next generation of champions,' said Hyundai South Africa CEO Stanley Anderson. SPAR Group PR, Communications and Sponsorship Manager Mpudi Maubane confirmed that each of the SPAR races is linked to their ongoing commitment to ending Gender Based Violence (GBV) as well as SPAR's campaign to end period poverty by 2030, raising awareness and providing support to organisations working to combat these issues. 'This multi-faceted approach ensures that the races that form part of the Grand Prix series not only promote physical well-being but also contribute to a safer and more equitable society for women in South Africa,' Maubane explained. The proceeds from the race will go to Sinethemba Women's Foundation based in Inanda, KwaZulu Natal. This small organisation assists vulnerable women in their neighbourhood by offering support on skills and business development, career guidance, aligns with SPAR's values – ending GBV and helping young girls and women with menstrual hygiene. The alignment with Sinethemba Women's Foundation work with SPAR's core values highlights the deliberate and great connection that we seek to foster with the communities we serve. Maubane added that by supporting organisations like Sinethemba, SPAR is investing in a future where women are safe, empowered and have the necessary resources they need to thrive. The route for the race is the same as last year. The 10km route is flat, but race director Brad Glasspoole says it is anything but monotonous. 'There's a fine line between 'flat and fast' and 'monotonous',' says Glasspoole. 'This route has slight elevation loss and gain, which keep it interesting and is good for the athletes' The race starts on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue and finishes on the outer fields of Hollywood Kings Park Stadium. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
The Citizen
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
‘I have never won anything in my life' – SPAR car competition winner
'I have never won anything in my life' – SPAR car competition winner SINGING and laughter filled the atmosphere at the Hillcrest KWIK SPAR as they handed over a Hyundai Grand i10 to a lucky shopper earlier today (Friday, June 20) The winner, Frederick Haupt, said, 'It feels fantastic, I did not expect it. I have never won anything in my life.' Haupt said he often drives from Bluff to visit his son and his family. 'Whenever we go to their house, we stop at this SPAR to get snacks, I just swipe my card or give my number to get rewards, I never expected to win a car.' Also read: Road closures ahead of Durban SPAR Women's Challenge The store owner Mike Egling said he and his wife Leigh-Anne, with whom he co-owns the store, feel privileged to be able to give away a prize of this magnitude to someone in the community. 'As everybody knows, SPAR owners generally live and breathe the communities that they serve because we generally live in the communities and we have the community's best interests at heart. 'So to be able to give away a prize of this magnitude is life-changing for many and it's great that our store, the Hillcrest KWIK SPAR, had someone that won.' Egling said all that the shoppers need to do is to buy the products that are associated with the competition, swipe their card and automatically go into the draw. The competition closes this Sunday, June 22. He conveyed his gratitude to all their suppliers and sponsors, especially the SPAR corporate office for arranging this handover. 'At SPAR, we don't have suppliers, we have supply partners that have the best interest of our businesses and really help us to succeed. So we are privileged to to be associated with both the brand and a competition like this.' For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Axios
4 days ago
- Climate
- Axios
Tampa Bay upgrades hurricane defenses after deadly season
After a century of minor hurricane impacts on Tampa Bay, last year's punishing storm season was both a wake-up call and a learning experience. Why it matters: In the months since, local government leaders have been analyzing and adjusting their approaches to preparing for, weathering and recovering from hurricanes. Here's what they told Axios about lessons learned. Infrastructure Zoom in: Helene and Miltion overwhelmed Tampa Bay's drainage systems. Local officials tell Axios they've been working to get ahead of the next storm: adding pumps, installing flood mitigation devices and clearing pipes. Hillsborough County cleaned 57 miles of pipes, upgraded its equipment, as well as completed inspections and maintenance at all lift stations, which pump sewage from homes into the county's system. Officials also set up agreements with the state to fast-track emergency requests for additional equipment and installed diesel-powered pumps at "critical" lift stations to keep sewage moving during power outages. Tampa is also upgrading dozens of its lift stations to better withstand extreme weather, including installing more backup generators. In St. Petersburg, where some residents couldn't use the bathroom during Helene and Milton due to two vulnerable sewage plants, Mayor Ken Welch moved to accelerate more than $700 million in infrastructure improvements through the St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) plan. "We're working based on science, based on projections, but those projections unfortunately show that the climate change impact is more on the extreme level than we'd hoped," Welch told Axios. "So we adjusted our plans." Several projects, including flood-proofing sewer plants, are already in the works. Yes, but: The question remains how to fund the expedited plan, Welch said. Officials are considering taking on debt and paying it back via revenue from an additional property tax. Such a plan would have to be approved by residents through a referendum. Evacuations and sheltering Just 1,700 Pinellas residents flocked to shelters during Helene. For some, staying home had fatal consequences. A dozen residents died, most from drowning. County officials are working with Capacity Path, a disaster relief agency specializing in mental health care, on ways to persuade reluctant residents to evacuate, emergency management director Cathie Perkins told Axios. The county is also continuing partnerships with the state Department of Elder Affairs and Evara Health to better accommodate special-needs residents in shelters and help them find housing after they get out. Officials are looking for more of what Perkins called "step-down" shelters for residents who can't immediately return to their homes. Plus: Hillsborough launched electronic registration to track available space at its shelters. Officials have also improved coordination with the school district. Communication In one of the most harrowing storm impacts of last year, a construction crane toppled by Milton's high winds slammed into a downtown St. Pete office building. Lawmakers barred local governments from regulating cranes more than a decade ago, so St. Pete officials are creating an interactive map that shows residents how close they live to potentially dangerous cranes and will send alerts ahead of storms, Welch said. Legislation that requires construction companies to secure cranes no later than 24 hours before a storm is awaiting the governor's signature. Boaters are another group that needs more targeted communication, Perkins said. Tons of unsecured boats washed up after Helene, and some residents are turning to boats for affordable housing. Pinellas is partnering with the National Boater Safety Council to make a video explaining how to secure your boat ahead of a storm, Perkins said. Plus: Pinellas this year held its first Spanish-language hurricane expo, while Hillsborough added Spanish translations to signs in shelters. Recovery The Helene-Milton double whammy produced a historic amount of debris. Officials are lining up contracts with debris haulers and trimming or removing trees ahead of this year's potential storms. St. Pete is also on the hunt for places to put debris because the three sites used last year are no longer available, said Welch, who added that last year's debris cleanup was "one of the great successes." He warned that the city may have to turn to parks if no other land is available.
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
SPAR women's race centurions ready for Durban leg
TWO local runners, Janene Carey and Grace de Oliveira, are looking forward to this weekend's Durban SPAR Women's 10/5km Challenge (Sunday, June 22). Carey and De Oliveira, both Durban North residents, have completed 104 and 109 SPAR Women's Challenge races respectively across the country. The SPAR Women's Challenge will see participants run around scenic parts of the city, with the routes taking participants around the Hollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium precinct and along the Durban beachfront. Also read: Durban SPAR Women's 10/5km Challenge celebrates huge milestone I have raced the SPAR event since inception. This will be my 24th Durban SPAR Women's 10/5km Challenge this year,' explained Carey, a Boxer Athletic Club member. 'This is such an iconic race. Us ladies are privileged to have an event that is just for us ladies. I do feel bad for the guys out there, but I'm also grateful that we have this event. It's unique. Everyone who can do it should do it.' De Oliveira of the Mr Price Sport Maxed Elite running club echoed those sentiments. 'The SPAR women's races are unique in that it's for women only and, in saying that, it is women of all shapes, sizes, age, and ability and I would definitely encourage others to take part, as it's a time when all women can get together and celebrate what great human beings we are. We, as women, wear so many hats, so why not wear another hat that says, 'I can run/walk'. You don't have to go out there to win, but just to compete is good enough,' she said. De Oliveira said the Durban event is one of her favourites because she gets to run in her home town with tremendous support from family and friends. While entries to this year's race are fully booked, visit for more information. For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook, X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Courier
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Courier
SPAR Scotland's big deals of summer help customers save all season long
Summer in Scotland can be unpredictable – whether it's glorious sunshine or sudden showers, one thing's for sure: SPAR Scotland is here to help shoppers make the most of it. Some Courier online content is funded by outside parties. The revenue from this helps to sustain our independent news gathering. You will always know if you are reading paid-for material as it will be clearly labelled as 'Partnership' on the site and on social media channels, This can take two different forms. This means the content has been paid for and produced by the named advertiser. This means the content has been paid for and approved by the named advertiser but written and edited by our own commercial content team. With its Big Deals of Summer campaign now in full swing, customers across the country can enjoy fantastic savings on everything they need for summer fun – without breaking the bank. SPAR Scotland's Big Deals of Summer runs across over 300 stores in Scotland, bringing a wave of offers and discounts to local communities. Each promotional category runs for three weeks, with some deals sticking around all summer long – so there's always a reason to pop in and check out what's new. Whether shoppers are planning a BBQ, prepping for holiday clubs, or looking for snacks to keep the kids happy, SPAR Scotland is helping families save time and money. In a world where the cost of living is a constant concern, SPAR Scotland is proud to offer great value deals across all categories. From household names to trusted local Scottish suppliers, the Big Deals of Summer campaign showcases SPAR's commitment to delivering market-leading prices on everyday essentials. As Paula Middleton, head of marketing at CJ Lang & Son Ltd, explained: 'The campaign is all about giving our shoppers outstanding value during the summer holiday season and supports one of SPAR Scotland's key strategic pillars – delivering value on your doorstep.' With deals available while stocks last and in selected stores, customers are encouraged to make the most of these savings while they can. Summer can be a juggling act – schools are out, and kids are in the house more often and they are eating constantly, parents managing holiday clubs, packed lunches, and trying to make the most of family time. SPAR Scotland understands these pressures and has tailored the Big Deals of Summer to help families manage their budgets while still enjoying the season. From snacks and drinks to meal solutions and treats, SPAR Scotland has the essentials to keep everyone happy. And when the grown-ups finally get a chance to relax – whether it's in the garden with a glass of something cold or in front of the TV after a busy day – SPAR is there with everything they need to make those moments special too. SPAR Scotland's commitment to local communities goes beyond just great deals. With a mix of company-owned and independent stores, each location plays a role in its neighbourhood – whether it's supporting local suppliers, raising money for charity, or hosting fun in-store events as part of the campaign. And with a comprehensive marketing plan behind the scenes – including social media, Spotify ads, influencer partnerships, and even in-store parties – SPAR Scotland is making sure customers feel the summer buzz, no matter the weather. From BBQ essentials to packed lunch must-haves, the Big Deals of Summer is here to help shoppers across Scotland save money and make the most of the summer season.
