RX Radio is once again setting out to conquer the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon track with their own reporter, Qaqamba Cuba, and Southern Striders runner Alan Jacobs teaming up to help raise funds for the station.
The station is based at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and is run largely by children. It provides broadcasting skills, knowledge and entertainment to children with and without chronic conditions and disabilities.
While the station generates some income from its child-centred content and training, it is largely donor funded, and in the wake of the post-Covid economic downturn, it has struggled to stay on air (“Children’s radio station needs help to stay on air,” Tatler Thursday February 16).
The concept for RX Radio was conceived by Dr Gabriel Urgoiti, who was the station’s manager until 2021. It was founded in 2016 with the aim of providing child presenters, mostly patients of the hospital, with a space to talk about issues that are important to them.
The station’s child reporters undergo basic training that includes a week of workshops on listening, storytelling, radio reporting and production skills.
RX Radio junior project coordinator Chesley Daniels said Mr Jacobs was again supporting the station after running on its behalf in last year’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon and the Two Oceans Marathon in April.
“Along with his support, the Warrior on Wheels Foundation has been kind enough to sponsor a buggy, which Qaqamba will be using in the race,” she said.
Apart from being an RX Radio reporter, Ms Cuba is also a station board member and a UWC law student. She also has congenital scoliosis (a sideways curvature of the spine that is caused by a defect that was present at birth).
She said she was looking forward to taking part in her first marathon.
“The team has been very welcoming and accommodating in helping me to prepare for the marathon. I’ve been part of the station from the beginning and did not hesitate when I was offered this opportunity.
“The station desperately needs the funds and I wanted to do whatever I could to help and hopefully raise enough money to keep us afloat.”
Mr Jacobs and Ms Cuba will be running the 42.2km race on Sunday October 15. You can support them by visiting the RX Radio’s Warriors on Wheels givengain page.
