KZN's Reece Smith from Wheels on Waves chats about the value behind a teddy bear
Wheels on Waves is helping the MEG Foundation collect teddy bears at Amanzimtoti Beach this festive season for hospitalised kids.
KwaZulu-Natal father and son duo, Wesley and Reece Smith, from Wheels on Waves, are helping promote the MEG Foundation's teddy bear drive.
The festive season brings with it a blanket of hope, joy, and togetherness. It's in the air, the feeling of giving and wanting to bring smiles to people, especially the little ones.
Wheels on Waves is a disability awareness and community-focused initiative created by Wesley and Reece from Amanzimtoti. We spoke to the father and son about their hopes of making more beaches wheelchair accessible.
This festive season, they were approached by the MEG Foundation to participate in their teddy bear drive.
When a child receives a teddy bear, it means the world to them, without a shadow of a doubt.
The MEG Foundation helps raise funds for kids with disabilities who need life-saving operations, and even for impoverished kids who need life-saving operations.
Every December, leading up to Christmas, they collect teddy bears for sick children in hospitals, disability centres and impoverished areas.
This year, Wheels on Waves was asked to set up a donation drop-off box at their offices, located on Amanzimtoti Beach on the South Coast of KZN.
A teddy bear is more than just a plush toy; it holds meaning and provides companionship to a child, especially a child who is ill and hospitalised.
If you have any new or old teddy bears, please come down to The Surfing Bean to drop them off. The box will be here everyday up until Christmas.
Having been in the hospital himself, Reece was all too familiar with the feeling of having a friendly teddy bear on your side.
He shared how he received many, many teddy bears while in hospital. When he was discharged, his dad decided to pay it forward and share the teddy bears with the other children in the ward.
"When he gave it to them, a couple of them would throw them in the air. One of them would squeeze them. 'Cause you know, it's just like, it's like their only companion. So it gave them a lot of comfort, like loads. So, yeah, that little teddy bear for a kid going through so much can mean the world to them," said Reece.
He also shared how he had a special teddy bear named Jelly. Jelly stood by him through many operations and was his companion when he would sleep.
Even though Reece has outgrown his teddy bear, Jelly, he paid the love of teddy bears forward by gifting it to one of his father's friends who recently had a child.
We asked Reece to share any advice for beachgoers this festive season, and he said: "Make sure to swim between the red and yellow flags and follow the rules of the beach".
He also encouraged tourists and locals to visit Amanzimtoti Beach over the festive period, as they will be hosting numerous activities.
Reece added that he is doing his best to become a sports expert and encourages any visitors to ask him any sports questions. If he cannot answer, at least he can learn something new.
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