Da Rocha’s annual soccer ball collection drive kicks off
JOBURG – When I started this drive i was confident that It would succeed because my community is very supportive. This year my aim is to collect over one hundred soccer balls.
Ward 66 Clr Carlos da Rocha has started collecting soccer balls as part of the annual councillor Carlos soccer ball collection drive.
Da Rocha said the aim is to give something to underprivileged children during this festive season.
He told the EXPRESS the initiative started after he was contacted by Rene du Plooy, a Kensington resident who runs the non-governmental organisation, We Care.
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“She contacted me seven years ago with a plan to do a massive cook-out and a treat for senior citizens. She asked me to assist her to organise two metro buses to transport senior citizens from several underprivileged retirement villages in Bertrams, Malvern and Kensington, to the cookout event. Unfortunately, Metro Bus did not come to the party due to financial constraints. I then launched a charity campaign to raise money for the buses,” he said.
Du Plooy also runs Bertram’s Present Giveaway Drive where she collects toys for all underprivileged children.
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“She asked me if I knew how she could collect toys as sponsorships were starting to get tight. I am a biker and partake in the annual toy run. I suggested to her, and assisted her to approach the toy run organisers and requested their help. Since then she is one of the annual toy run beneficiaries where the organisers of the toy run donate toys to the children,” he said.
Da Rocha said du Plooy told him the toys she received were not catering for all the children across the board, and the one thing that was missing was soccer balls.
It was then that Da Rocha came up with the idea of starting a soccer ball collection through Facebook and word of mouth.
“I needed a drop-off point for the soccer balls and I wanted it to be centralised. I approached Ian Wade owner of Caffiain shop situated on Queen Street in Kensington. With the help of Wade, the soccer ball collection became quite successful. Wade even went as far as buying balls in bulk so that residents who did not have the time to go shopping for balls could just pay him for the ball,” he said.
Da Rocha said some residents have started to donate soccer balls.
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“Observatory residents contacted me and told me that they have already collected 37 soccer balls for this drive. It is amazing how many of my residents rush to assist me in this drive. It has become an annual councillor Carlos soccer ball collection drive now.
“When I started this drive I was confident it would be a success because my community is very supportive. This year my aim is to collect over 100 soccer balls. I am pleading with residents to donate soccer balls. If they do not have the time to buy soccer balls, they can go to Ian Wade’s coffee shop and buy soccer balls there,” he said.
The soccer balls will be collected by We Care organisation from the coffee shop early next month so that it can be handed over to children in Bertrams.
The drop off point is 175 Queen Street in Kensington.
