The donation of gifts and stationery from the SACSC.
The festive season is the busiest time of year for many of South Africa’s shopping centres, but this hasn’t stopped them from taking time to come together to make a positive difference in the lives of children in need.
South African Council of Shopping Centres’ (SACSC) Gauteng Chapter donated R25 000, while its members and their guests donated generous contributions of stationery at a recent networking event. Both of these donations were given to the Gauteng Round Table for its White Christmas project.
The annual Gauteng Round Table White Christmas project makes a big difference in the lives of some 1,500 children in the community. This year’s Round Table White Christmas party took place at the Pro Practicum School in Roodepoort. It was packed with entertainment and treats for the children. They also received gifts of toys from the annual Toy Run.
The initiative was driven by the SACSC’s Gauteng Chapter and its partners. Gaby Sithole, who chairs the chapter, says the donations of SACSC and its members will make the season more joyful for youngsters. It will also be a positive force for good in their lives during the coming year.
“With gifts of stationery, we are helping to equip these youngsters with important tools they will need for their education. We want them to have a bright future. The mall, retail and property industries are hungry for young talent, and this is one way that we can help nurture tomorrow’s retail and property professionals,” says Sithole.
Commenting on the initiative, Amanda Stops, CEO of SACSC, says: “Shopping centres have an important place in the festive season. While meeting people’s shopping and entertainment needs for the season, many malls also include meaningful community initiatives as part of their holiday programmes. We felt that supporting a good cause for children this festive season is a great way to reflect the community-mindedness of our members.”
