GUGULETHU, CAPE TOWN – The spirit of Youth Day was celebrated through action and community impact as the RCS Gugs Youth Day Race partnered with DKMS Africa to raise awareness about blood cancer, blood disorders and the importance of stem cell donor registration.
Held as South Africa commemorated the 50th anniversary of the June 16 Uprising, the event brought together runners, families, volunteers and community members in a powerful display of unity, wellness and social responsibility. Beyond promoting healthy lifestyles, the race provided an important platform to educate the public about stem cell donation and its potential to save lives.
Chairperson of the Gugulethu Athletics Club, Dr Aubrey Shoko, said the partnership was inspired by the desire to honour the legacy of the youth of 1976 while addressing critical health challenges facing South African communities.
“As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the June 16 Uprising, we wanted to create an event that not only honours the legacy of the youth of 1976, but also inspires today’s generation to actively participate in building stronger, healthier communities. Sport has a unique ability to bring people together across different backgrounds, and through the Gugs Youth Day Race, we are using that platform to promote unity, wellness and social impact,” said Shoko.
He added that the collaboration with DKMS Africa created an opportunity to extend the race’s impact beyond the finish line.
“Through our partnership with DKMS Africa, we are also helping to raise awareness about blood cancers and blood disorders. Many people are unaware of the lifesaving role stem cell donors play in giving patients a second chance at life. By bringing this message directly to the community, we hope to encourage more South Africans to learn about stem cell donation and register as potential donors.”
The RCS Gugs Youth Day Race has long served as a platform for community development, creating opportunities for social engagement and empowerment while celebrating the resilience and achievements of local communities.
For DKMS Africa, the partnership highlighted the importance of working alongside trusted community organisations to reach more South Africans and build a diverse stem cell donor registry that reflects the country’s population.
Palesa Mokomele, Head of Corporate Communications and Community at DKMS Africa, said community-based partnerships are essential in helping patients find matching stem cell donors.
“Community partnerships play a critical role in helping us reach more people and increase awareness about stem cell donation. Through collaborations with organisations such as the Gugulethu Athletics Club, we can engage directly with communities, educate potential donors and ultimately improve the chances of patients with blood cancers and blood disorders finding a matching donor,” said Mokomele.
She noted that sporting events provide a valuable opportunity to connect health education with community participation.
“Sporting events provide a unique platform to bring people together around a common cause. By combining community participation with health education, we can encourage more South Africans to register as stem cell donors and help build a more diverse donor registry that reflects the communities we serve.”
Reflecting on the significance of Youth Month, Dr Shoko encouraged young people to embrace leadership through service and compassion.
“Leadership is not defined by titles or positions; it is defined by action. Every young person has the ability to lead through service, compassion, and integrity.”
The successful partnership demonstrated how community events can be used not only to celebrate important milestones in South Africa’s history but also to address pressing health issues and inspire meaningful action. Through initiatives such as the RCS Gugs Youth Day Race, community members are reminded that they have the power to honour the legacy of previous generations while helping create hope for patients searching for a lifesaving stem cell donor match.
DKMS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer. It was founded in Germany in 1991 by Dr. Peter Harf and DKMS together with the organization’s over 1,200 employees and has since relentlessly pursued the aim of giving as many patients as possible a second chance at life. With over 13 million registered donors, DKMS has succeeded in doing this more than 115,000 times to date by providing blood stem cell donations to those in need. This accomplishment has led to DKMS becoming the global leader in the facilitation of unrelated blood stem cell transplants. The organization has offices in Germany, the US, Poland, the UK, Chile, India and South Africa.
DKMS is also heavily involved in the fields of medicine and science, with its own research unit focused on continually improving the survival and recovery rate of patients. In its high-performance laboratory, the DKMS Life Science Lab, the organization sets worldwide standards in the typing of potential blood stem cell donors.
DKMS Africa received its WMDA certification in 2025, cementing its position as South Africa’s biggest and most diverse stem cell donor registry.
For more information, go to https://www.dkms-africa.org