Hope begins with you

THE Sunflower Fund has entered a new era with the appointment of new chief executive officer, Alana James, who joined the Fund in September 2015, bringing a wealth of experience, global insight and an exciting new operational plan for the organisation.

“I am delighted to play a part in the ongoing success of The Sunflower Fund, I’m excited to walk this road with staff, patients and board members,” said James.

She added that one of the most exciting elements of stewarding the new organisational strategy has been the shift in focus to ‘community’.

“The diagnosis of a dread disease like leukaemia is not only devastating to the individual, but is equally traumatising for family, friends and colleagues. It leaves no-one untouched and our job is to reach out to this community, supporting it the best way we know how – through our expertise in increasing donor numbers for the South African Bone Marrow Registry,” she said.

With this in mind, the Fund is debuting its new tag line: Hope begins with you' reflecting the mission and values of the organisation. With every prospective donor or informed patient, The Sunflower Fund brings Hope to someone’s child, someone’s parent, someone’s friend. Change is good, and along with the new tag line, the organisation has updated its annual campaign. Running from August to the end of September, the highlight is Sunflower Day, which takes place on 16 September.

James adds that the organisation’s iconic bandana has also undergone a facelift: “Along with our longstanding partner and sponsor, Pick n Pay, we undertook extensive market research at the end of 2015 and realised that it was time to ring in the changes. Earlier this month, we unveiled our new commemorative product known as the Tope – Tube of Hope! An updated version of the bandana, reflecting the renewed enthusiasm and excitement at the Fund, the Tope promises to be a bestseller!” she said.

With its unique design and selection of colours, the Tope is an affordable product with practical functionality for the entire family, and goes on sale in August 2016.

James is clearly passionate about growth and impact “Progress is impossible without change and we look forward to achieving our goals with some exciting changes this year,” she said.

The Sunflower Fund’s mission is to educate, register and fund the medical costs of individuals wishing to join the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR).

The enrollment process is simple and it takes just two test tubes of blood to register as a stem cell donor on the SABMR.

Should you wish to become a donor, support one of the fundraising projects or make a financial contribution, contact The Sunflower Fund on toll-free number: 0800 12 10 82 or visit www.sunflowerfund.org.za