King David High School, Linksfield learner raises over R150 000 for charities
After a visit to Kids Haven, a King David High School, Linksfield learner was inspired to raise funds for two children’s care centres close to her heart.
A Grade 11 learner from King David High School, Linksfield, raised over R150 000 for Arcadia and Kids Haven. Gina Dave conceptualised, manufactured and sold socks for King David’s 75th anniversary and donated all the funds raised to two charities that are very close to her, Arcadia and Kids Haven.
In 2020 as a Grade 8 learner, Gina started the Duke of Edinburgh, President’s Award, one component of which is community service. “I joined my school’s outreach committee. I began my association with Kids Haven which has taken the form of visits, charity collections, baking birthday cakes and other treats and dropping off clothes, books, stationery and shoes to the centre as well as preparing hygiene packs and food packs which were in particular need during the Covid-19 period,” she said.
Ever since then, each year Gina has tried to embark on one larger initiative to benefit Kids Haven.
In 2023 with it being King David Schools’ 75th anniversary, Gina took the opportunity to raise significant funds for outreach and at the same time celebrate her school’s proud history. During a visit to Kids Haven, she noticed they were selling branded socks as a means of fundraising for their many worthwhile and indispensable functions.
“And so the idea of a King David School’s 75th Birthday Sock Initiative was born. Over the next three months I sourced sock manufacturers, designed some options using the Forever Young 75th Birthday Logo (of which three designs were settled on), raised the sponsorship for the order, arranged the photos for the marketing posters and prepared a launch video,” said Gina.
She expressed gratitude that this initiative was brought to reality with the support of the South African Board of Jewish Education who helped her drive the initiative and the King David community.
She said the 28 parents who sponsored the initiative paid up by 28 February. The socks, however, only went on sale (through a Quicket link) in May and were thereafter also sold at various events such as the Inter-Jewish Sports Day and the King David Linksfield birthday bash held at the Wanderers. Nearly 1 500 pairs of socks had been sold by early September with income received totalling R223 691 and a nett income, after expenses, of R158 534 being available for distribution to outreach programmes.
Gina concluded, “I felt humbled and honoured when Nicole Katz, general manager of Fundraising of the Chevrah Kadisha, after receiving the cheque of R100 000 for Arcadia stated that, ‘when you see for yourself what the future of our Jewish community looks like at an assembly of young Jewish change makers, you have new hope for the future’. I urge students to take up the challenge, get involved in outreach and together we can help heal the world!”
Share your initiative ideas with us by email to naidines@caxton.co.za
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