Annual Christmas community project provides great joy for children and elderly
"We started with 1 500 packets, but the project has grown over the years and it's a highlight on the community's calendar."
The 13th annual Christmas community project (CCP) kicked off in Pretoria Gardens on Wednesday.
In 2020, the project was cancelled due to Covid-19 lockdown level 5 regulations which prohibited CCP to raise funds for the project. However, the team did use the funds available to hand out food hampers to the needy.
The kick-off saw Halo Aviation who joined hands with the CCP where they had low fly-by, which was a first for the project.
A truck in memory of Arthur Robbie Salmon, who was known as the CPP’s Christmas father, will also take to the street.
Salmon lost the battle to Covid-19 earlier this year.
An organiser of CCP, Xander Loubser said that this year’s project will see 32 000 goody bags being handed out to the community.
“We started with 1 500 packets, but the project has grown over the years and it’s a highlight on the community’s calendar,” he said.
Best Care and Ambu-Link emergency medical services, SAPS and metro police and the CPF form part of the project.
Noekie Salmon, Louise van Staden and Ria Venter are also the founding members.
Salmon is considered a jewel in the community and is well-known for her humanitarian work.
Van Staden is one of the directors at a non-profit organisation, Titans Kickboxing Club in Mountain View, and also a kickboxing instructor and serves her community as a local first responder.
Venter is a deeply respected woman in the Pretoria Gardens community.
Loubser said that their main goal with the project was to be a message of hope and love.
“We want to offer our help and to lend an ear whenever possible.”
This year, they make use of social distancing devices in the form of trolleys.
The green trolleys are for the elderly, red trolleys for kiddy packets and doggy treats for your four-legged friends will also be handed out.
“Packets are sealed according to Covid-19 regulations and include a Bible, lollipops, sweets, chips, biscuits and coffee,” he said.
Local artist Johan de Klerk will entertain the community with Christmas carols while riding on the truck.
The routes are:
– Friday, December 17: Mountain View and Suiderberg
– Saturday, December 18: Parktown, Wonderboom South and Roseville
– Sunday, December 19: Danville, Elandspoort and Proclamation Hill
– Monday, December 20: Daspoort, Booysens, Claremont and Hermanstad
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