Captain Fanplastic Launches #TheMascotMarathon to Raise R100,000 for Ocean Literacy Across 10 Cape Town Beaches
Cape Town, South Africa – 16 September 2026 – On International Coastal Cleanup Day (Saturday, 19 September 2026), Captain Fanplastic will launch #TheMascotMarathon, a high-energy campaign combining beach cleanups with an urgent nationwide fundraising drive. Ruben Hazelzet, founder of Captain Fanplastic, will put on the official mascot suit to cover 10 iconic Cape Town beaches in a single day, rallying local volunteers and driving support for an online crowdfunding goal.
The main objective of #TheMascotMarathon is to raise R100,000 on BackaBuddy to fund environmental literacy for 1,000 primary school learners in Cape Town public primary schools.
Research shows that land-based plastic litter washes ashore near local river mouths, causing severe damage to marine ecosystems. Rather than endlessly picking up trash without addressing human habits, Captain Fanplastic aims to stop pollution at the source through experiential education. The BackaBuddy funds will directly equip local schools with educational storybooks, DIY Cleanup Kits, and environmental teaching materials that turn learners into “Plastic Pirates” committed to protecting the oceans.
Starting at 08:00 AM at Monwabisi Beach and concluding at Bloubergstrand 15:00 PM at , Ruben will visit active cleanup sites across the Atlantic Seaboard and False Bay. Members of the public, families, and businesses can follow the marathon live on Strava and social media, and support the campaign by donating directly to the BackaBuddy page.
“International Coastal Cleanup Day should not exist forever,” said Ruben Hazelzet, Founder of Captain Fanplastic. “Cleaning the coast without changing human behaviour means we will clean the same shores endlessly. By taking to 10 beaches in full suit, we want to celebrate active volunteers while encouraging the public to back our campaign so we can educate 1,000 children to stop plastic before it ever reaches the water.”
Supporters can back the Captain on BackaBuddy by sponsoring individual learners (R50 per comic book) or funding full school DIY Cleanup Kits (R9,500). Corporate sponsors can also back school modules starting from R5,000. All donations qualify for a SARS Section 18A tax exemption certificate. Every donation on BackaBuddy brings a child into our environmental literacy programme and invests in a cleaner future for South Africa.
The 10-Beach Route Schedule (19 September 2026):
- 08:00 – 08:25: Beach 1 – Monwabisi Beach – Start
- 08:40 – 09:05: Beach 2 – Muizenberg Beach
- 09:20 – 09:45: Beach 3 – Kommetjie Beach
- 09:55 – 10:20: Beach 4 – Hout Bay Beach
- 10:35 – 11:00: Beach 5 – Llandudno Beach
- 11:15 – 11:40: Beach 6 – Camps Bay
- 11:55 – 12:20: Beach 7 – Sea Point Promenade
- 12:40 – 13:05: Beach 8 – Mouille Point
- 13:30 – 13:55: Beach 9 – Milnerton Beach
- 14:25 – 15:00: Beach 10 – Bloubergstrand – Grand Finale
Media Contacts & Information
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- Ruben Hazelzet | Founder | +27 76 177 3063 | [email protected]
- Nobuhle Zulu | Project Head | +27 74 790 9289 | [email protected]
- Grace Kania | Project Facilitator | + 27 67 042 7459 | [email protected]
- BackaBuddy Campaign: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/themascotmarathon R100k for 1,000 learners
- Social Media: @Captain_Fanplastic (instagram) | @Captain Fanplastic (Facebook) | Captain Fanplastic (LinkedIn)
About Captain Fanplastic: Recognized as a UN Ocean Decade Action, World Economic Forum Uplink Top Innovator, and UNICEF partner, Captain Fanplastic builds environmental literacy among youth to prevent plastic pollution (#NoTrashButTreasure).
Follow us on social media:
@Captain_Fanplastic on Instagram & @Captain Fanplastic on Facebook and on Linkedln.
Ruben Hazelzet on instagram.
About Captain Fanplastic: Captain Fanplastic is dedicated to empowering communities and fostering environmental awareness through innovative educational programmes and initiatives.
They raise environmental literacy amongst youth globally through experiential education; that drives behavioural change in order to connect children more to their environment, prevent plastic pollution and manage waste better. #NoTrashButTreasure #DontTakeTheBait
Since 2018 they’ve been developing a grassroots movement that contributes to the UN’s SDGs 4, 6, 11, 12, 13 & 14 in their lifetime. Captain Fanplastic has been recognized, among others, as one of the UN’s Ocean Decade Actions, the World Economic Forum’s Uplink Top Innovator (Blue Wall Challenge Winner) and UNICEF. Captain Fanplastic has a Big Audacious Pirate Goal to reach 1 000 000 learners with environmental education by 2030.
