THANK YOU SOUTH AFRICA! SANTA SHOEBOX PROJECT LOOKS AHEAD TO 2012
The heartwarming Kidz2Kidz Santa Shoebox Project once again reached its goal – this year collecting over 70 000 Christmas gifts for children at orphanages, crèches and care centres across the country. This was achieved with the support of thousands of individuals across the country, as well as schools and the business sector. Major sponsors this year included Laser Logistics, PEP, Aspire Solutions, Fairheads Trust Company, the Woods Today, Waltex Carpets, Cellucity, Dreamcatcher Productions, Thuso and Protea Hotels, to name a few.
Janie van der Spuy who heads up FIVESTAR PR, the agency responsible for the project publicity on a pro-bono basis says they have received unprecedented support from the media this year, including heavyweights E-TV, Media 24 and more than 20 local radio stations. ‘We could not have done it without the media. It’s a project that really speaks to people, and we have had incredible support and enthusiasm from the media, ranging from the community newspapers and glossy magazines, to many bloggers and tweeters who have all played an essential role in spreading the word to encourage more donors to sign up from all the corners of South Africa.‘
Among the media to give the Santa Shoebox Project a unanimous thumbs-up is Glamour magazine, who voted National Project Co-ordinator Irene’ Pieters and founder Dee Boehner winners in the category ‘Most Inspiring Women in Charity in South Africa’ in the prestigious GLAMOUR Women of the Year Awards this year.
The 2011 project is ending off on a high note this week with a number of Santa Shoebox Celebrations having taken place at 620 homes and care centres in each of the nine provinces. Now Pieters and her team are setting their sights on an ambitious figure of 100 000 boxes in 2012.
Says Pieters: ‘This year was a milestone one for us, with the project more than doubling in size, but we would love to top this by another 30 000 Santa Shoeboxes next year. We have added many small towns to our geographical reach this year, which is heartening, but hope to expand further into more remote rural areas next year. This year schools and centres stretching from Oudtshoorn, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna on the Garden Route; and Darling on the West Coast; to Mafikeng in the North West Province; Rustenberg in Gauteng; and Bloemfontein in the Free State were included for the first time – thanks to the dedicated volunteer co-ordinators in each area.’
On a lighter note, the team gauged that if you stack the 70 489 Santa Shoeboxes (the total number collected this year), one on top of the other, they would surpass the highest point of Mount Everest! Perhaps this best illustrates the extraordinary reach and impact of the Santa Shoebox Project, which has touched the hearts of so many South Africans in a few short years of existence, standing head and shoulders above similar ventures, just like the dynamic women behind the project.
MORE ABOUT THE SANTA SHOEBOX PROJECT
The Santa Shoebox Project is a non-profit organization, which collects Christmas gifts for thousands of underprivileged children throughout South Africa by way of a social and community network of families, friends, schools and churches. Spearheaded by Kidz2Kidz founder Dee Boehner and coordinated by Pieters since 2007, it has since grown in leaps and bounds, and currently supports 620 facilities across South Africa and one in Namibia.
With ‘teach your child the joy of giving’ as the essence of the project, as donors are encouraged to involve their own children in the process of personally selecting a child from one of the centres or homes, and putting together his or her individualized, age appropriate Santa Shoebox gift. Uniquely, this means each participant knows the first name, age, gender and care institution of the child, and it is this personal touch that endears the project to adults and children from all walks of life.
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Photo Caption: E-TV Presenter Tanya Nefdt enters into the spirit of the season at the Santa Shoebox Celebration held at the Zenzeleni School in Khayelitsha
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Issued by FIVESTAR PR
Media Enquiries: Janie van der Spuy
Tel: +27 21 462 1677
Cell: +27 83 324 5558
Email: janie@fivestarpr.co.za
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