Fundraising Campaign for Woodside Special Care Centre

Make a donation today to the Woodside Special Care Centre for people with serious disabilities

The campaign in support of Woodside Special Care Centre, where 90 residents with profound intellectual and physical disabilities receive 24-hour care, has already elicited strong public interest.

The campaign, launched on Wednesday, October 6, is being spearheaded by a partnership involving members of the Rondebosch East based centre, Cape Community Newspapers, the health department, civil society groups and the private sector.

The aim is to raise R200,000 and other resources by Christmas and generate broader public awareness of intellectual and physical disabilities.

Cape Town radio station, Bush Radio 89.5 FM, will run a programme each Wednesday at 08:45 am on the Operation Woodside campaign and various social and charity groups have indicated they will mobilise support for the campaign in the coming weeks.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace prize laureate and leading anti-apartheid campaigner, has declared his support for Woodside Centre, providing the campaign with a major boost.

Malcolm Pringle, who participated in last month's Olympics for Disabled People, in Athen has also bolstered the campaign with his support.

The campaign has caught the imagination of The Pinelands Players, a drama group, who staging a production of Grease at the little Theatre next month. The group intends donating the proceeds of their performance on November 23 to Woodside. Tickets will cost R100 and can be booked by phoning June Wells at 021 531 8682 or email her on cjwells@mweb.co.za, before November 20.

David Hill, editor of Cape Community Newspapers said: "As community newspapers we have a responsibility to try to help make life a little better for others where we can.

"In our experience, every time we have highlighted a needy cause, our readers have risen to the challenge magnificently and responded more than generously. I am confident that our campaign to help the children at Woodside will reinforce our belief that we live in a caring community."

You can deposit your donation into the following account:

   FNB
   Claremont
   Account no: 50152756275
   Branch code: 200109
   Account name: Woodside Sanctuary.

Fax a copy of your deposit slip, marked "Operation Woodside" to 021 697 1596.

You can also contact the Woodside Special Care Centre on 021 696 2811.

Independent Newspapers set the ball rolling with a R5,000 donation to kickstart the campaign.

Individuals and companies have generously donated to the fund including:

• J Klopper and JE Siebrits (R50)
• Larden, Patrick Rynhardt, JW Calitz, JJ van Niekerk, E Kalos, G Holliday, S Willoughby and AC Kerchoff (R100)
• N Loewenstein (R150)
• RD Makin, PE Hitchcock, H Pollack, C and S Matthee (R200)
• AW Jones (R250)
• Mrs M Tracey (R300)
• BE Fish, GJM van Zyl (R1,000)
• Mr Clive Erickson has pledged R90 a month
• Mr Sharpe of Datro Tech added R500 to the growing tally.
• Mrs Veronica Searle of Kirstenhof and Mrs Beline Ingles of Kreupelbosch were both moved by last week's articles and respectively committed themselves to donating toys and a cot.

St George's Grammar School became the first educational institution to come to the party, by bolstering the campaign with a healthy R2,000. Camps Bay High also showed their support by handing over goods that filled two car boots and a trailer.

Sniper Security, in Kromboom Road, Rondebosch East has pledged R1,000 and challenged all other security companies to equal or better the amount.

A generous donation of R5,000 was also made anonymously.

Premier Fishing has donated several boxes of Pilchards while a company called the WishingWell Foundation has signalled the intention to make Woodside their lead charity in the Western Cape.

The Pinelands Athletic Club handed over R1 500 to Woodside, which was raised by allocating R1 of each entry fee for a recent race towards the campaign.

A Woodside luncheon will be hosted by estate agent Bill Rawson and Tanya Jovanovski, well-known author and founder of the Business network, on December 8 at Kelvin Grove from 12 - 2pm. The cost is R150 per person with all proceeds going to Woodside. Call Julie on 021 696 2811 to book.