The African Conservation Trust (ACT) wants to match one-for-one the Rhinos that were killed by poachers last year in South Africa with a national Skydive for Rhinos campaign, and is calling on 448 Ordinary South Africans to do something Extra-Ordinary to show their support. Skydive for Rhinos is an African Conservation Trust (ACT) initiative with the objective of raising R10 Million for onthe-ground, verifiable rhino conservation and anti-poaching efforts in South Africa. Funds raised will be utilised for training and equipping rhino anti-poaching units (APUs), aerial surveillance and support, and community intervention programs. These will be verifiable, urgently needed interventions and funds will be distributed nationally to where support is most needed. 100% of funds raised go into the ACT Rhino Fund, a dedicated bank account. Every Rand raised is accounted for and no charges or administration fees are being deducted. Rhino Poaching - The Black and White of it all! The past 45 years has seen more than 100 000 Rhinos killed for their horns throughout Africa. This is a multi-trillion US$ loss to the continent. Since 2008, more than 1013 South African Rhinos have been killed by poachers. In 2011 that figure reached an alltime high of 448. We are only half way through 2012 and South Africa has lost 245 Rhinos to poaching already! If one Rhino is worth around R 500 000, this equates to half a billion Rand that has been stolen from South Africa since 2008. With rhino horn selling for up to US$50 000 per kg and the average rhino horn weighing 5kgs, this means that the illegal poaching of rhino horn is a multi-billion dollar, black market industry. 93% of the world's last remaining White Rhinos are in South Africa and fewer than 4 800 Black Rhino are left in the world. South Africa is quite literally the last remaining strong hold for Black and White Rhinos, both species are under serious threat of extinction. And this is not typical poaching: highly sophisticated and organised criminal syndicates (with no respect for the existence of the species) are using advanced technologies and equipment to poach as many as two Rhinos a day, right here, right now, in South Africa. To some, Rhinos are worth more dead than alive. For us South Africans however, OUR Rhinos are one of OUR Big Five - up there with OUR Lion, Leopard, Elephant, and Buffalo and one of OUR much loved and most valuable natural assets. OUR Rhinos are iconic to, and indicative of, every aspect of South Africa: Wildlife, Culture and Heritage. OUR Rhinos are part of OUR valuable eco-tourism and safari industry, their very existence creates employment and brings in valuable tourism revenue. OUR Rhinos are so much a part of OUR economy that they feature proudly on OUR R10 notes. And since three quarters of OUR Rhinos live in OUR National Parks and Reserves they most definitely are OUR Rhinos. Rhinos have been around for more than 50 Million years. An attack on one of South Africa's Big Five is an attack on South Africa itself. This is a serious crime against OUR wildlife: it is theft on a grand scale.
Time is not on our side, and failure is not an option because extinction is forever. It is our duty to preserve OUR wildlife for OUR future generations. We are purely the custodians. Protecting OUR Rhinos at the front-line of attack requires funding and resources. The target is to be raised is R10 Million. Participate, Sponsor, Donate, Support, Contribute, Win. Individuals, Celebrities, Groups, Sponsors, Corporates. The National Skydive for Rhinos Campaign. So you think you would never jump out of an aircraft? Can you believe that the future of one of OUR Big Five is in your hands? The African Conservation Trust wants to match one-for-one the Rhinos that were killed by poachers last year in South Africa with a national Skydive for Rhinos campaign. Be one of 448 Ordinary South Africans doing something Extraordinary by raising awareness, raising funds, and making a tandem skydive from 10 000ft at one of four national Skydive for Rhinos events happening between 27th July and 23rd September. Be a Rhino Ambassador! Register with ACT to receive your sponsorship form, raise a minimum of R 5 000 (includes the cost to tandem skydive), select one of four national Skydive for Rhinos events, and make a tandem skydive from 10 000ft in honour of one of South Africa's poached Rhinos. Teams of dedicated, professional tandem masters are in place at the four registered Parachute Association of South Africa (PASA) Drop Zones that will be hosting Skydive for Rhinos events, these are: 27th - 29th July @ SkyDive Rustenburg in the North West Province. 17th - 19th August @ Angel's Way Skydiving Centre / Skydive Durban, near Eston in KwaZulu-Natal. 31st August - 2nd September @ Skydive Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. 21st - 23rd September @ Skydive Robertson in the Western Cape. Remember - 22nd September is World Rhino Day! Get your registration form NOW, email micah@projectafrica.com Sports skydivers are welcome to be part of ALL of the Skydive for Rhinos events. In addition, the professional skydiving event - The Ranch SkyDiving Boogie and Symposium (9th - 12th August) - will take place in honour of South Africa's slaughtered Rhinos. Licenced skydivers will also be creating awareness and raising funds for the ACT Rhino Fund in their own special way at Skydive for Rhinos events. Terms and conditions apply, participation in skydiving and parachuting is at own risk.
Participate Individuals - Register with ACT to receive your sponsorship form, raise a minimum of R 5 000 (includes the cost to tandem skydive), select one of four national Skydive for Rhinos events, and make a tandem skydive from 10 000ft in honour of one of South Africa's poached Rhinos. Be a Rhino ambassador! Sports Skydivers - Sports skydivers are welcome to be part of ALL of the Skydive for Rhinos events. Celebrities - So far, raising funds and making tandem skydives as part of the campaign we have... Michelle Bradshaw The Wild Chris Beasley Isidingo Faye Peters The Wild Josette Eales The Wild Keenan Arrison The Wild Tumisho Masha The Wild (previously Isidingo) Tyrone Keogh The Wild (one of Cosmo's sexiest men 2012) Cameron McEwan The Wild Kirsten Dukes Miss Earth Second Runner up 2011 Mpeo Makape Marketing Manager for MNet Elise Daffue StopRhinoPoaching.com Simon Naylor Phinda Reserve Manager Simon Morgan Director Wildlife ACT Pierre Delvaux CEO Thanda Group Digs Pascoe CEO Space for Elephants Carl Grossmann Chairman African Conservation Trust Francois Du Toit CEO African Conservation Trust The majority of these Celebrities and VIPS are jumping at the Rustenburg event - 27th - 29th July. More celebrities and VIPS are needed for all of the Skydive for Rhinos events: Come on celebrities and VIPS... get involved, challenge you friends and colleagues, create awareness, put a team together, help us get more corporates on board and drum up more media support. Contact Sheelagh on funding@projectafrica.com for more info on how you can get involved. Groups - Get a group of family members and / or friends together and make a day of it at one of the four organised national "Skydive for Rhinos" events. Corporates - Challenge your staff, management, board of directors, suppliers. Have a dedicated time slot at one of the four organised national Skydive for Rhinos events. Or sponsor a day!
Numerous corporates are already on board in a number of creative ways. Contact Sheelagh on funding@projectafrica.com for more info on how you can get involved. Sponsor Sponsor a friend, a family member or a colleague. Corporate Sponsors are required for the following elements there are huge branding and exposure opportunities for each event, and as part of the national campaign: Accommodation for the ACT Skydive for Rhinos team - Rustenburg, Eston, Port Elizabeth, Robertson. Flights for the ACT Skydive for Rhinos Team (Durban to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Durban, Durban to Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, Cape Town to Durban). Hire Cars / Vehicles for the ACT Skydive for Rhinos Team (Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town) Medics and Ambulances at each Skydive for Rhinos event. Branding and Printing Prizes for the top fundraisers (25 in total) Items for the Jumpers Goody Bags (are presented to each person who jumps for rhinos) PA and Sound System at each Skydive for Rhinos event Big Screen at each Skydive for Rhinos event Jet A1 Fuel for each event and to ferry skydiving aircraft between Skydive for Rhinos events. As a section 18A organisation, all donations to the African Conservation Trust are tax deductible. Donations Certificates are provided on request. Come on - put your brand behind OUR Rhinos! Contact Sheelagh on funding@projectafrica.com for more info on how you can get involved. Donate Cash donations to Skydive for Rhinos can be made direct to the ACT Rhino Fund through ACT s www.givengain.com account. Click here to go directly to the online donation page: www.givengain.com/cause/3213/projects/10849/ Equipment donations (instead of cash) particularly for anti-poaching units will be gratefully received. Items such as camera traps, tents, hand-held radios, torches, binoculars, sleeping bags and GPS units are needed. Please contact us for a detailed list. We are also looking for prizes for the jumpers who raise the most funds for rhinos. Weekends away, spa and fine dining vouchers, quality wines, outdoor equipment etc are the types of gifts we d like to give as Thank You s.
As a section 18a company, donations to ACT are tax deductible and Donations Certificates can be provided on request. Contact micah@projectafrica.com to make a donation or for more info. Contribute Numerous aspects are required for the events. We could make very good use of things like tents for shade, large outdoor screens, pa systems, entertainment. We also need prizes and items for the Jumpers Goody Bags, which are given to each participant at all four events. Corporates can also contribute through a cause-marketing partnership between your products and the campaign. Through this, funds are raised through product sales increasing goodwill for your brand and making it easy for the public to donate to saving South Africa s Rhinos. Contact Sheelagh on funding@projectafrica.com for more info on how you can get involved. Win Various prizes will be announced closer to, and at the events. Prizes can be donated by corporates and sponsors. Donations to ACT are tax deductible. Funds Raised - The ACT Rhino Fund 100% of funds raised go into the ACT Rhino Fund, a dedicated bank account. Every Rand raised is accounted for and no charges or administration fees are being deducted. Funds raised will be utilised for training and equipping rhino anti-poaching units (APUs), aerial surveillance and support and community intervention programs. These will be verifiable, urgently needed interventions and funds will be distributed nationally to where support is most needed. Skydive for Rhinos is an African Conservation Trust (ACT) initiative. ACT is a 12 year old, Pietermaritzburg-based conservation charity Trust with a historical footprint of working throughout Southern Africa. ACT is a registered Trust (IT 2174/00); a registered Non-Profit Organisation (NPO 030-243); a SARS-registered Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930014758); and a member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (NG/25190). This campaign is about ordinary South Africans doing something extraordinary, raising awareness and giving a little of their time to show their support to on-the-ground efforts to save South Africa s Rhinos from poachers.
Support The following organisations are united when it comes to saving our Rhinos and fully in support of the Skydive for Rhinos campaign: &Beyond Group Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Game Rangers Association of Africa Lead-SA Africa Geographic Dr Ian Player and the Magqubu Ntombela Foundation Nambiti Hills Phinda Private Game Reserve Phinda Private Reserve Project Rhino KZN Private Rhino Owners Association Rhino Action Group (RAGE) SADC Rhino Management Group Space for Elephants Foundation StopRhinoPoaching.com Thanda Foundation Thanda Private Game Reserve Wilderness Action Group Wilderness Foundation Wildlands Conservation Trust Wildlife & Environment Society of South Africa Wildlife ACT Fund Wildside Magazine World Wildlife Fund Black Rhino Range Expansion Project Zululand Rhino Reserve Zululand Wildlife Security Initiative Numerous VIPs, Celebrities, Personalities, Business and Corporates are also behind this campaign. Take a Stand Take a stand. Be part of the national Skydive for Rhinos campaign. Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.
ACT NOW Sign up now: email Micah on micah@projectafrica.com for more details on how to join the campaign. Please send this to everyone you know and do whatever you can to help us raise awareness and funds to protect our Rhinos at the front-line. Participation in skydiving and parachuting is at own risk. Terms and Conditions apply. Follow us online: www.skydive4rhinos.org www.facebook.com/skydiveforrhinos www.twitter.com/@rhinoskydiver www.givengain.com/cause/3213/projects/10849/ www.projectafrica.com Contact ACT s Skydive for Rhinos team: Sheelagh Antrobus: funding@projectafrica.com or Micah van Schalkwyk: micah@projectafrica.com Tel: +27 (0)33 342 2844 369 Chief Albert Luthuli Road Pietermaritzburg Compiled on 13th June 2012 by: Mike Rumble Mike@Imagineering.co.za 082 926 3591 Terms & conditions apply