Children have fun at the Racecourse

HUNDREDS of underprivileged children were treated during a fun-filled annual Tellytrack Christmas Tree event at the Turffontein Racecourse on Saturday, December 3.

An amount of R500 000 was raised. The children enjoyed a full afternoon’s entertainment. This included face painting, pony rides and a jumping castle. There was also a “So you think you can dance” competition and a magic show for the younger ones in the special Christmas tree enclosure next to the parade ring, courtesy of Karen Wilkie and her Boswell Wilkie team. Later they were treated to lunch and given Christmas presents by Father Christmas, including toiletries and a small bag of goodies for the journey home.

The participating homes were asked to complete wish lists of much-needed appliances and other items, such as bedding. With the help of race and table sponsors as well as other donors, Tellytrack expects it will be possible to provide the homes with most, if not all, of the items they have requested.

The participating homes are Abraham Kriel Childcare, Alberton Christian Fellowship, the Love of Christ Children’s Home and the St Laurence’s Children’s Haven, which plays a key role in assisting and organising the event. St Laurence’s, in addition to its own children, also brought underprivileged children from the Vrededorp area.

“The Tellytrack Christmas Tree was a huge success and we managed to double our income thanks to a number of generous donations. This means we can now offer 10 bursaries from the proceeds. Over and above that, Phumelela has initiated an internship programme which will hopefully help some of these youngsters gain valuable work experience. Who knows, they might even show the right kind of potential and end up with permanent employment, which would no doubt be a huge boost,” said event co-organiser, Julie Alexander.