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Most Kids Lost and Retrieved at Kings Beach

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www.MyPE.co.za: Over seven thousand children were kept safe on Nelson Mandela Bay beaches over the height of the holiday season thanks to the Lost Kids campaign initiated by Go Big Events.

Of the 7610 children whose details were taken and recorded on armbands, 91 were lost – and all reunited with their parents, according to Greg Moses of Go Big Events, official organisers of the NMB Summer Season.

The rainy and windy weather on New Years weekend did not keep Nelson Mandela Bay visitors and residents off its biggest beaches – as shown by the number of children “tagged” on January 1 and January 2.

Over 4760 children under the age of 12 were tagged in the Nelson Mandela Bay Lost Kids campaign over the weekend across the city’s busiest beaches. The children were fitted with a bracelet with their names and contact details of their parents or guardians.

A record of 2410 children were “tagged” on January 2.

“Over the New Year’s weekend, the Lost Kids crew located and successfully reunited 64 lost children,” says Moses.

At Hobie Beach, the Lost Kids Campaign tagged 200 children on the 31st, 400 on New Year’s Day and 110 on Sunday the Second. At King’s Beach, 200 children were tagged on Friday and 800 each on Saturday and Sunday.

The largest turnout occurred at Well’s Estate where 400 children were tagged on New Year’s Eve, 500 on New Year’s Day, and a whopping 1500 children on the warmer Sunday.

Most lost children occurred at King’s Beach, with 43 over the weekend, with only 11 at Well’s Estate and 10 at Hobie Beach.

With no serious incidences at the main beaches, the next concern for the organisers is a massive beach clean-up after the weekend revelling.

“The Vodacom Beach Clean-up campaign has been launched and will run until the end of the week to ensure our beaches return to their pristine natural state,” says Moses.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Summer Season enjoyed another successful period with well attended beach activities and a programme of top national artists such as Jamali, Danny K and Pro Kid.

The only event which suffered briefly was the Opening of Season on 16 December, which was rescheduled to the next day after the Bay was washed with heavy rain.

“It was unfortunate that the crowds missed out on the popular Rockets and Liquideep performances, yet all other performances, including Jamali, were retained for 17 December along with another fantastic fireworks display,” says Moses.

Editors Notes: Greg, the Longhair and I also did our bit this morning during our two hour walk from Flat Rocks to Cape Receife, picking up plastic junk and fishing line. Good thing that the Vodacom Beach Clean up is underway otherwise our municipal employees would have to work really hard to-morrow after today’s surprise “vote for me in the next elections” day off that was granted to them by Mayor Wayile today!

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Siyathetha

Ed Richardson is the managing director and brain behind the Siyathetha brand and is rumoured to be one of the most effective weapons of mass communication in the Eastern Cape. See more articles by Siyathetha.