Casual Day HQ announces eight new beneficiaries
Casual Day, South Africa’s most successful fundraising project for persons with disabilities, has invited eight new organisations to join its beneficiary family.
On Wednesday, a function was held at the Casual Day headquarters in Edenvale to welcome the new beneficiaries.
Autism South Africa (ASA), Downs Syndrome South Africa, The National Association for Persons with Cerebral Palsy (NAPCP), the South African National Deaf Association (SANDA), the National Institute for the Deaf (NID), QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA), Alzheimer’s South Africa and the South African Disability Alliance (SADA) will join others in benefiting from Casual Day.
Casual Day is a project owned by the National Council of Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA) and has been run in partnership with its national beneficiaries for 18 years.
“The addition of the new beneficiary organisations affords us the opportunity to effect real transformation of the project and to become more representative of the wider disability sector,” said Ms Therina Wentzel, national director of the NCPPDSA.
“Now in its 19th year of service to the community of persons with disabilities, this gives the Casual Day project team the chance to refresh our approach and to re-align our values within a changing landscape of diversity and greater inclusion of persons with disabilities in today’s challenging world,” she said.
Casual Day stickers, caps and shirts will now be available through the new beneficiaries.
The proceeds ensure the sustainability of 300 provincial and local organisations and the addition of new beneficiaries brings 200 more organisations into the Casual Day fold.
Last year Casual Day raised R22,2-million, 10 percent more than in 2011.
To date the project has raised R170-million.
“We are ecstatic about the response from South Africans. With the world economy in turmoil and a decline in funding for NGOs from corporations and government, Casual Day is going from strength to strength.
“Casual Day is a lifeline for many disability organisations that serve persons with disabilities. The money we raise through this project affects the lives of thousands of vulnerable South Africans,” Mrs Wentzel said.
This year the Casual Day theme is Go Big, so whether you wear big hair, a big tie, big shoes or just go big on the number of stickers you wear, anything goes, as long as it is big.
Visit the new website at www.casualday.co.za to find out how to Go Big this year.
It is never too early to start planning an outfit or fundraising campaign.
This year Casual Day takes place on Friday, September 6.
To participate in Casual Day and Go Big, visit www.casualday.co.za
