Warm gesture by Winter Knights
The final night of the Winter Knights campaign was an especially icy one, and both Mario and Julio went the extra mile to reach out to the public.
There are at least two kinds of people who venture out into the icy winter night, without dressing warmly.
Firstly, those who have no home or shelter and are left with no choice, and then there are those who have a purpose and a mission, and make the choice to make a difference in the lives of those in need.
On June 21, 28 and July 1, Vryheid Round Table 129’s Mario Maritz and Julio Marques stood outside local supermarkets, to collect donations towards the annual Winter Knights campaign. Every year, Round Tables countrywide reach out to the community for assistance, with which to lend a hand to the less fortunate among us – from the homeless man on the street to established organisations such as Child Welfare, CMD Vryheid and Inkululeko Children’s Home, among others.
To drive home the plight of those who have no shelter from winter’s icy grip, the Tablers put themselves in the proverbial shoes of those they seek to assist, by exposing themselves to the elements in nothing but T-shirts, shorts and slippers. This gesture is meant to show empathy for those who have no option but to call the streets their home.
The final night of the Winter Knights campaign was an especially icy one, and both Mario and Julio went the extra mile to reach out to the public.
The collection point was Spar and supermarket management was kind enough to donate approximately R700 worth of groceries to the campaign.
By the end of the evening, the Tablers were able to offer immediate assistance to those on the street, in the form of food and blankets, and will continue to distribute the remainder of the collection to the charities and organisations who are in dire need of help in the foreseeable future. The Tablers thank the community for its support throughout the campaign, but also encourage the public to continue contributing.
“We’re not just going to stop because the campaign is over,” stated Mario. “Anyone who would like to donate can continue to do so, as we will still be helping where we can. If you’d like to find out more about donating to the Winter Knights campaign, or even becoming part of Vryheid Round Table 129, check out our Facebook page and contact us through social media.”
Also read: ‘Winter Knights’ battle the elements for Vryheid’s less fortunate
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