WATCH: ‘Jail a Victim’ event raises over R8 000 for Cansa
With laughter, light-hearted arrests, and a strong sense of community spirit, the Jail a Victim event proved that sometimes, a little mischief goes a long way in making a difference.
More than R8 000 was raised for Cansa on October 16 when unsuspecting community members were “arrested” and spent 30 minutes behind bars, all in the spirit of charity and fun.
The lively fundraising event, Jail a Victim, was held at the K90 Centre and hosted by Sport Against Crime in partnership with the Boksburg North SAPS, Legendary Guardians and the CPF.
The aim was simple – to lock up nominated “victims” on playful charges, all for a good cause.
Members of the public were invited to nominate friends, family or colleagues to be “arrested”. The humorous charges included “drinking too much coffee”, “always arriving late”, “being overly friendly” and “spending too much time online”. Each arrest carried a R250 “fine”, with all proceeds going directly to support Cansa’s fight against cancer.
Nominees were genuinely surprised – and in some cases alarmed – when uniformed police officers and security personnel arrived to detain them. Instead of being taken to a police station, the “detainees” were escorted to a temporary jail set up at the K90 Centre, where they served their 30-minute “sentence”.
One unsuspecting “victim” was Gil de Klerk, a sales manager at Nissan East Rand Mall, who was “arrested” for “trading in stolen vehicles”.
“Forget it. Stolen vehicles?” a visibly shocked De Klerk said as officers led her away. “Yes, ma’am,” they replied, assuring her that details would be provided at the station before taking her to the police van. Moments later, she was relieved to learn it was all part of a charity stunt.
Chris Batts of Sport Against Crime and Radio Hi 5 Stereo explained everything when she arrived at the K90 Centre.
“I did not expect it. It was intimidating, but it’s for a good cause,” De Klerk said with a laugh.
Batts said the initiative was a great success.
“It’s always rewarding to run a project that gives back to the community. A big thank you to everyone who nominated someone, and to our partners like Boksburg North SAPS and Legendary Guardians. Cansa is extremely happy. It was a fun day – people really enjoyed it,” he said.
Cansa’s Ester Pretorius echoed the sentiment, expressing heartfelt thanks to all who participated.
“It was a fun-filled day, and we had a blast. The event was definitely worth it. Over R8 000 was raised,” she said.
Also Read: Cansa need you to ‘Jail a Victim’
Also Read: Coffee connects community and police
