Fundraising event for Hillbrow home
HILLBROW – The annual charity fundraiser to help poor Inner-City communities will take place on 17 May.
The heart of the city will be ignited on 17 May with the 12th annual Hillbrow Unplugged Winter Wander gala fundraising event hosted by the Johannesburg branch of Mould Empower Serve (Mes).
The event will celebrate the achievements of the NGO within marginalised and destitute urban communities and will feature performances by award-winning Samantha Peo and Clifford Cooper in their cabaret-style production Soulfire and Fireflies, Deca’s striking instrumental arrangements, and special guest Deshun Deysel, will all contribute to celebrating the work of Mes.
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“The Hillbrow Unplugged gala event has been a part of the Mes Johannesburg calendar since 2007. The night takes place in the heart of Hillbrow, hosting jovial performances to celebrate the impact that we have been able to achieve and maintain through generous partnerships and the donations we have received,” said Rev Alan Childs, CEO of Mes.
It has been an active NPO across major metropolitan cities in South Africa since 1986, bringing positive change and sustainable development to destitute communities in the metropolitan inner cities of Johannesburg, Kempton Park, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.
“The theme for this year’s Hillbrow Unplugged is Winter Wander. It represents the journey through the rough unforgiving perils of life, through the cold and darkness to a fruitful and victorious summit, as inspired by the well-known highest peak in the world, Mount Everest,” said Leona Pienaar, executive manager for fundraising and marketing at Mes.
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“We are very excited to have an array of exclusive performances alongside keynote speaker and boundary-shifting woman mountaineer, Deshun Deysel participating in the evening. Award-winning performers Samantha Peo and Clifford Cooper will bring guests Soulfire and Fireflies, a cabaret-style production centred around the theme of love, loss and growth, and music group Deca will provide up-tempo beats in striking instrumental arrangements.
“The night is such a lovely initiative to give back to our partners, the media and potential new donors while hosting them with a gala dinner event in the heart of Hillbrow. We have arranged for welcome drinks in Auckland Park at Trap der Jeugd, from there we will provide safe transport for our guests to the main event in Hillbrow.”
Mes started as a soup kitchen in Hillbrow 32 years ago and has since extended its service offerings to assist clients at all stages of development. The various programmes included a service unit dedicated to poverty alleviation, community and spiritual enrichment, education and skills development, professional health and social work services and social development enterprise.
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The night aims to raise at least R250 000 through seat sales, auctions and themed giveaways. All event contributors will provide their services on a pro bono basis, ensuring that the R10 ,000 per table or R1 000 individual attendance fee can be channelled directly to where the benefit can be reaped by the inner city communities in Johannesburg.
Details: Leona Pienaar 011 725 6531; leona@mes.org.za
