Cupcake Day raises cancer support funds
A delicious selection of treats helps cover everyday living costs and medical expenses for families supporting a child through treatment.
Kwena Square was one of the stops for Cupcakes of Hope’s National Cupcake Day for Children with Cancer on September 26, with volunteers selling thousands of freshly baked cupcakes to raise funds for families affected by childhood cancer.
According to event co-ordinator Johan Els, about 3 400 cupcakes were available, with vanilla, chocolate and red velvet varieties topped with coffee, bubblegum, cherry, cream soda and custard-flavoured icing.
National Cupcake Day is celebrated every last Saturday of September.
“Today is our National Cupcake Day event, our biggest fundraiser every year, and we’ll be here selling cupcakes today until we sell out,” Johan said.
• Also read: National Cupcake Day restore hope to children with cancer
The cupcakes, baked by volunteers, were sold for between R15 and R90, while visitors could also make a donation without buying a cupcake. Funds raised through Cupcakes of Hope assist families with costs linked to their child’s cancer treatment, including transport to hospital, food, rent and medical expenses not covered by medical aid.
Johan said some families also face the loss of an income when a parent has to leave work to care for their child. The organisation was started in 2009 and officially registered in 2012 after founder Sandy Cipriano baked 104 cupcakes to raise money for a boy named Keegan who was battling cancer. It now supports hundreds of families across South Africa.
He said the fundraiser was also an opportunity for people to support families in ways that may not be immediately visible.
“One cupcake might seem small, but for a mom sitting in a hospital ward watching her child go through chemo, that cupcake means someone out there cares,” he said.
Among those supporting the fundraiser were people who could not eat sugar but bought cupcakes and asked that they be given to others. Residents who were unable to attend the event could still support Cupcakes of Hope by donating directly to the organisation or following @CupcakesOfHope on Facebook and Instagram for information about its upcoming campaigns.
