Casual Day ambassador raises R10 000
R10 000 for the Sunshine Association Early Learning Centre.
Casual Day ambassador Nicole Laxton recently handed over a donation of R10 000 to the Sunshine Association Early Learning Centre, in Elsburg.
Laxton managed this by organising a fund-raiser at the Bedfordview branch of S.W.E.A.T 1000, on Casual Day.
Paul Rothschild, owner of the S.W.E.A.T franchises countrywide, extended the fund-raiser to all the branches in South Africa, and the donations just poured in as members exercised and generated a lot of sweat at the events.
Co-ordinator of the Elsburg Sunshine Association Early Learning Centre Michael Ngobeni said: “I express our heartfelt gratitude towards Laxton and Rothschild and the members of the gym for their generous contributions towards our centre.
“We highly appreciate their support.
“These donations will make it possible for us to continue rendering much-needed early intervention services to our children with special needs.
“We can never thank them enough.”
The Sunshine Association partners with business organisations and community groups to grow the capacity of emerging projects for children with disabilities.
These projects are rolled out over two to three years.
The Casual Day funds will go towards the operational costs of these projects.
If the community would like to donate to the centre, contact Ngobeni on 011 827-1738.
The centre is located in Du Toit Street and appreciates all the assistance it receives from the community.
As a Casual Day ambassador, Laxton organised fund-raisers, visited early learning centres for children with disabilities, took part in media interviews and used her personal networks to raise awareness of the day.
Project leader Celeste Vinassa said: “Casual Day is a success, because we have a network of volunteers who contribute their time, energy, enthusiasm and experience to the project.
“Laxton is committed to being of service to her community and uses her influence and status as a celebrity to do good.
“It is also important that she speaks from experience when she does her work for Casual Day.”
The 19-year-old’s empathy for people with disabilities is partly as a result of being diagnosed with absence epilepsy when she was nine years old, and she is also a youth ambassador for Epilepsy SA.
Laxton is constantly reminded by something that Desmond Tutu once said: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
