Anelene is a finalist for Bachelorette title
She will be competing against 17 other finalists
LOCAL resident and philanthropist Anelene de Haas (24) is one of the finalists in the sixth annual South Africa Bachelor and Bachelorette of the Year competition.
CopperStone Promotions launched its first annual SA Bachelor and Bachelorette of the Year contest in 2011 and successful candidates are chosen countrywide.
De Haas will be competing against 17 other finalists and winning is based on the amount of effort put in and money raised towards the main charity, Cansa.
“I heard about the competition through one of my friends who won Bachelor of the Year 2014, Guy Saben, and entered for one reason: to make a meaningful difference in society,” she said.
She is also a part-time student studying towards her B.Com Marketing Management degree.
The competition was started to find South Africa’s most eligible bachelor and bachelorette, people who encompass brains, beauty/good looks, entrepreneurship and the spirit of Ubuntu.
It is not a match-making competition, nor a beauty pageant, rather a competition where successful single candidates who are not married or engaged and aged 20 years and older can make a difference and create awareness through charity or community work.
The finalists will find their own sponsors, compete based on several challenges throughout the year and arrange their own fund-raisers and media drives before the winners are announced at a formal, red carpet event in November.
During the past five years the competition has raised in excess of R650 000 for various charities.
“During the time leading up to the final event each finalist has the opportunity to run their own campaign, which consists of a fund-raising event towards our main charity, Cansa. The finalists must also arrange an awareness campaign and event towards the TALK initiative,” said De Haas.
TALK is a campaign which assists in teaching children tolerance, appreciation, literacy and kindness.
De Haas will approach the initiative with random acts of kindness to create awareness of kindness and prove what impact the smallest acts have on people and children who do not expect it.
“My random acts of kindness included registering as an organ donor, I gave coffee to security guards at Serengeti Estate, took cookies to our local nurses, signed myself up at a soup kitchen, donated some food to the SPCA, donated clothes to those in need and spent some time at an old age home,” she said.
“I truly want to influence those in need and inspire the privileged to have an impact on their communities through giving, not only through materialistic things, but rather through time and knowledge.
“This is not your normal pageant and it provides a platform to reach out and make an impact on people, especially children, for whom I have a particular passion.”
