Here's a story to warm your hearts.
Coming together to help out in the community is what this Cape car scene does best.
That’s why Bobby Nitro jumps at the opportunity to write about these guys and girls, the ones who will do whatever it takes to brighten up someone else’s day.
Last Saturday the Cape Cruise Movement (CCM), in conjunction with events company Daredevils and Classic Man, pulled one out of the hat, helping to add karkop adrenalin to a 15-year-old’s very first birthday celebration.
It started when Shirley Jongbloed, the single mother of a teenager about to turn 15, plucked up what she says was “the courage to ask CCM if they could be part of a surprise birthday” she was hoping to organise for her son, Daniel.
JOY: Daniel with Vincent Coutriers. Picture: Supplied.
Vinnie Coutriers, the president of CCM, says: “When the mom contacted me on Facebook I said to her we would pull it off and immediately got hold of various crews for support.”
CCM, by the way, is a movement that unites many clubs and crews from different areas under one umbrella with the vision of doing breakfast runs, shows, uplifting communities and doing charity events. The aim, says Vinnie, “is to diversify the car scene in Cape Town”.
Shirley, a single mother who lives in Lost City and has seen more than her share of hardship in this life, tells Bobby a little about Daniel, saying: “This is the first time we have been able to have a birthday party for Daniel. Either there has been no money, or I have been sick or he has been in hospital, all these years.”
TIME OF HIS LIFE: Daniel chilling in a Honda S2000. Picture: Supplied.
Shirley is in remission with colon cancer and Daniel has a rare form of epilepsy that causes him constant headaches and he blacks out, and until it was diagnosed, Shirley’s life was in turmoil. They have since received training in the symptoms and things are a bit better, but still challenging.
So Vinnie and CCM right hand man Faizel Akermadien pulled in a BM owners club, the Toyota and Lexus crews, as well as some Golfies, to set out to the shackland home of Shirley and Daniel.
Apparently though, the cat had come out of the bag the previous evening when Daniel was looking through his mom’s phone.
However, this fact took nothing away from the surprise.
BRINGING HOPE AND SMILES: Karkoppe come out to support the initiative. Picture: Supplied.
Shirley says: “When Daniel saw the message he still said, ‘you know mommy, nothing ever happens for us, this can’t be true, it’s not really for me because people make empty promises, you know, and everything is about money’.”
His mom, however, kept her hopes alive. This time she prayed it would be different.
The next morning Gary arrived at their shack in his Honda, came in and gave young Daniel a birthday gift, telling him, “My boy, I’ll be back a little later.”
It was a promise he would keep, which is awesome on so many levels.
Vinnie says: “When we rolled up later the kid was blown away, he looked so happy his face was shining. He and his friends were over the moon.”
UNBELIEVABLE MOMENT: Daniel and his tjommies had an absolute ball of a time. Picture: Supplied.
Gary returned in his S2000 widebody, always a head turner, and Jade was there in his gedropte Merc, and sooner than you could say twin turbo he was in the kwaai cabbie and heading off to the Pavilion for a parade.
It was only at this moment that Daniel truly believed he was going on this dream ride. He is a humble boy, not used to anything extra in life beyond the basic necessities, and to receive such an open-hearted gift from the community has been a wonderful experience.
The celebration did, however, kick off the previous day when Shiraan Behardien and his business partner Ricky Hendricks of Daredevils and Classic Man collected Daniel and took him to the club where they have a group of young learner DJs in training.
BOY OF THE MOMENT: Generous karkoppe had treated Daniel like a young king. Picture: Supplied.
Shiraan says: “This was something he always wanted to do and he got to experience a day with DJs and good tunes.”
For mense in the community to come together and bring such joy to a teenager who has not known this kind of support before, is truly heartwarming. And it brings hope and connection to many lives. Well done to all involved.