The spirit of Mandela Day was on full display as members of Curves Strubens Valley came together to donate an abundance of food and essential items to Baby Moses Child Sanctuary, surpassing their goal of collecting 67 of each requested non-perishable item.

According to coach Nats Hislop, the women-only gym launched the initiative after asking its members to nominate a charity they could support. Baby Moses Child Sanctuary was selected because it relies on community support rather than government funding.

She added that the gym has been supporting the organisation for many years and they regularly do that through two or three donation drives each year, and wanted to make this year’s Mandela Day initiative especially meaningful.

“We ask them for the top five things they need most. We tried to collect 67 of everything for Mandela Day, including 67 packs of noodles, but I think we went way over that,” she said.

To raise even more support, the gym also held a raffle for a blanket. The proceeds from the raffle were used to purchase additional food items for the donation, while one lucky Curves member won the handmade blanket.

Nats credited the success of the drive to the generosity of the gym’s members.

“Our members are absolutely amazing. They always come through, and they are so generous. Without our members, this would not be possible at all,” she shared.

Baby Moses Child Sanctuary co-founder Lanie de Klerk said the donation would make a significant difference to the more than 200 children in the organisation’s care.

“Any kind of food helps, but what makes this special is that the ladies from Curves reached out and asked what our five most important needs were. That meant we received exactly what we wanted and what we needed,” she said.

Among the donated items were everyday necessities and treats that will be enjoyed by the children and teenagers living at the sanctuary.

“They all love chocolate and muffins, and we always need mayonnaise and milk,” Lanie said.

She thanked the Curves members and owners for their generosity and encouraged the community to continue supporting the sanctuary.

“Caring for more than 200 children is not possible without community support. We rely very heavily on the community and use the same things a normal family uses in a home – just a lot more of them,” Lanie shared.

The sanctuary welcomes donations of food, toiletries, cleaning products and pre-loved clothing for children of all ages, from babies to teenagers, as well as adult-sized clothing for older teens.

Those wishing to support Baby Moses Child Sanctuary can contact Lanie on 072 114 7863 to find out about its current needs.