Keeping South Africa's needy warm this winter

In 2011, Capetonians donated more than 3 000 blankets, 7 387 bags of clothing, 550 units of canned food and almost R9 500 cash towards this annual goodwill drive.

Donations can be dropped off at the SABC studios in Sea Point, Absa Bank branches or at the various outside broadcast points across the city.

"The donations of blankets, clothing and non-perishable items have in previous years spread warmth amongst numerous communities affected and without our sponsors and listeners we wouldn't be able to achieve this," says Good Hope FM marketing manager, Meegan Kieffer.

"We are proud to be partners for the 4th consecutive year," adds Pholisa Magqibelo, Absa regional manager: group marketing and communications, Western Cape.

Outside broadcast drop off points

Local residents, road commuters and passers-by are encouraged to drop off donations at outside broadcasts (OB), which will take place on the following dates from various locations:

• Saturday 9 June - Vangate Mall, Athlone - from noon to 3pm
  
• Wednesday 20 June - Guy's Convenience Centre (Engen garage), Gabriel Road, Plumstead from 6-9am and 3-7pm
  
• Saturday 23 June - Cape Gate Mall, Brackenfell - OB from 6-9am and 3-7pm
  
• Wednesday 28 June - Eskom, Bellville - OB from 9am to noon
  
• Wednesday 4 July - Ravensview Service Station (Caltex garage), Main Road, Parklands - OB from 6-9am and 3-7pm
  
• Saturday 7 July - Cavendish Square, Claremont - OB from 3-6pm
  
• Wednesday 11 July - Post Office Head Office, Cape Mail Centre, Epping - OB from 9am to noon
  
• Wednesday 20 July - BP, Merryman Street, Stellenbosch - OB from 6-9am and 3-7pm
  
• Thursday 19 July - Foshini Group, Parow - OB from 9am to noon
  
• Saturday 21 July - Blue Route Mall, Tokai - OB from noon to 3pm
  
• Wednesday 25 July - ACSA, Cape Town International Airport - OB from 9am to noon
  
• Saturday 28 July - Canal Walk, Century City - OB from noon to 3pm

Sponsored distribution

The Courier & Freight Group will supply the containers at each of the collection points and the Community Chest will assist Good Hope FM in distributing the collections during the course of the campaign to the various needy organisations and communities in the greater Cape Town Metropolitan area in August.

Thabo Johnson, Gail Johnson (founder and director of Nkosi’s Haven), Anton Gillis (Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Melrose Arch general manager), Jodene Shaer, Sam Cowen and Greg Arthur

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Etienne Janse van Rensburg (CrashCarBurn), Fabian Sing (CrashCarBurn), Jodene Shaer, Pixie Bennett, Karen Battaliou and Garth Barnes (CrashCarBurn)

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Doubled intake to 3 909 blankets

The Twitter Blanket Drive, late last week, saw hundreds of Johannesburg donors arrive at Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! Melrose Arch, which this year doubled its intake to 3 909 blankets, more than twice the target of 1 500.

Among the celebs who gathered for the event on Saturday were Wonderboom frontman Cito, hip-hop DJ Noni "Ms Cosmo" Rwaxa, Highveld Stereo breakfast personality Sam Cowen, actor/singer Emmanuel Castis, actors Sibu Radebe and Stephen van Niekerk, singer Jacques Terre'Blanche, 7de Laan's Donnalee Roberts, Metro FM DJ Carol Ralefeta and Crash Car Burn - to name but a few.

"For the past month guests and clients of the hotel have been buying and donating blankets, which eventually formed mountains in the hotel's reception area," said hotel GM Anton Gillis. "When the blankets were moved on Saturday to the 1st floor where the event was hosted the team counted a collection of 2 800 blankets. A further 1 109 blankets were donated on the night by all who attended the event."

He added that so large was the number of donations, they were able to include another orphanage and other service projects in Alexandra.