On Friday 6 September, Casual Day – the flagship fundraising and awareness-raising project of the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) – celebrated its 25th anniversary.

This year’s theme, ‘Time to Shine with Persons with Disabilities’ encouraged South Africans to be shining examples and leading lights for persons with disabilities.

The Herald would like to know what Randfonteiners were up to on Casual Day or how you planned to help out. Send your photos or tip-offs to randfonteinherald@caxton.co.za.

Casual Day is as old as South Africa’s democracy. Over the past 24 years, it has grown to be South Africa’s leading funding and awareness campaign for persons with disabilities, and continues to be one of the most successful social advocacy campaigns in South Africa.

According to Therina Wentzel-du Toit, national director of the NCPD, in its 24 years Casual Day has raised R334 500 000. This has grown from R413 000 in 1995 to a record-breaking R31 million last year.

South Africans are encouraged to buy a R10 Casual Day sticker to show their support. Casual Day stickers are available at Edgars, Edgars Active, Jet, Jetmart, CNA, Boardmans, Game, DionWired, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Alpha Pharm or Express Stores nationwide.

This year, Casual Day has introduced a personalised digital sticker. To buy the digital sticker, send an SMS with your name (costs R10) to 38224 (free and bundled SMS packages don’t qualify). This digital sticker service is available until 14 September 2019. The digital stickers will be sent to those who have purchased them in the form of an MMS, which can take up to an hour to generate and send.

Proceeds from Casual Day support the disability units of 11 universities, the South African Police Service and the South African National Defence Force. They pay for assistive devices and for upgrading school buildings; they cover the cost of day-care centres and food gardens; and they provide training in Universal Design for employers and fund an employment placement service for persons with disabilities across South Africa.

Casual Day shirts are always a massive hit, and this year is no exception. Casual Day has ensured that there are enough shirts in the most popular sizes. They are available on the Casual Day website www.casualday.co.za and will remain on sale until the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December 2019). International Day of Persons with Disabilities provides an opportunity to mobilise action to achieve the goal of full and equal enjoyment of human rights. Approximately 15 per cent of South Africans have a disability.

For more information about Casual Day, visit www.casualday.co.za or contact Therina Wentzel-du Toit, national director of the NCPD on 011 452 2774 or 083 255 6854, or send an email to therina@ncpd.org.za.