Gerald Clark and friends host fundraiser

29 Apr 2014 11:44 AM

Gerald Clark, in collaboration with Fokofpolisiekar, Valiant Swart, Heinz Winckler, Theo Crous, Luna Paige, Natasha Meister and Guy Collins, is hosting a fundraiser for children with fetal alcohol syndrome.

The event will take place on Sunday, 4 May at the Barnyard Theatre in Willowbridge. Gerald and friends have decided to pitch in and host an all-star fundraiser concert for the cause.

Last year Gerald decided that he would like to give back to the community and has now found a way to do this – combined with his love of horses which he has had since infancy: “I observed the amazing results of the interaction between horses and the FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome) children. The one little girl, Abigail, stood out for me in particular. Abigail was born prematurely and was so heavily affected by FAS that the doctor predicted she would never be able to walk. I was there during a session when she was put on a horse and within a few minutes I could see her orientating herself and getting interested in her surroundings. The other day I saw her running around, dancing and laughing; she is now three years old and only four months behind the developmental phases of a normal child.”

What is the FASt Forward Fund?

The FASt Forward Fund is an initiative set in motion by singer songwriter Gerald Clark and retailer Jade & Velvet.

The FASt Forward Fund’s main aim is to send young FAS-sufferers to programmes where they will be able to work with ponies and horses. These children (between the ages of one and six) are at a developmental stage where they stand to gain most from working with ponies and horses on both a physical and cognitive level.

Riding can, however, be beneficial to almost anyone with any kind of special needs. Aside from the physical benefits of improved balance, posture, muscle tone and joint flexibility, it also develops attention span, reasoning skills, memory retention and a host of other cognitive functions.

The show

The event help in assisting children in need at the same time as offering an all-star lineup from some of South Africa’s top musicians. MC Pietman will host the evening; Jade & Velvet are sponsoring the event.