Fête-full fun

Having fun and being a saint are not always mutually exclusive terms.

But taking part in the Salvation Army Fairland Children’s Fête on 30 August will ensure a good time and doing your bit for those who really need it.

“We’ve got a tremendous range of stalls, entertainment for the kids, dog obedience trainers will be showing off their stuff and, of course, the Remax skydivers will be diving from the sky as they are wont to do,” Ted Keartland, one of the fête’s organisers and convener of the gardening stall, said on 3 July.

There will also be music, prizes, entertainment and an enormous variety of stalls, featuring ‘Johannesburg’s biggest second-hand books sale’, furniture, appliances, clothing, bric-a-brac, jewellery, toys, sports goods, nursery and garden. Food stalls will offer delights to tantalise your taste buds, or, at the very least, people can be assured of a delicious boerie-roll.

Sounds like rollicking fun, right?

Here comes the ‘doing good’ bit.

“We’re appealing for second-hand goods for the fête,” Keartland said. “There are 60-odd kids in the home from both genders, from pre-school kids to matrics. The home attempts to provide a normal ‘family type’ environment where the kids can develop and attain their full potential, but it’s difficult to maintain without help and donations. This is a fundraiser for the children’s home, and lately we haven’t gotten much help from government and the lotto. We need donations.”

The home is appealing for books, old clothing, second-hand household appliances and goods, sporting equipment, unwanted jewellery or anything that can be sold or used.

“We’re asking not only for your support on the day, but also to donate cash or ingredients or any unwanted goods for the various stalls,” Firlands principal, Major Eddie de Vos said.

“Obviously, the sooner these are donated, the easier and more convenient it is for the volunteers to sort them in time for the great day.”

Go on, do some good. And then have some deserved fun at the fête on 30 August at the corner of 11th and 4th Street, Linden.