THE inaugural 2014 Charity Showdown will be presented by e.tv, in association with OpenView HD.
The event promises to be a fun-filled day for the entire family, which will take place on Saturday July 19 at Bidvest Wits grounds.
This event, initiated by e.tv, will take the form of a pre-season encounter for four of the top Premier League Soccer clubs, but above all to raise funds for the Lunchbox fund. The pre-season showdown features Bloemfontein Celtics, Mpumalanga Black Aces, Bidvest Wits and AmaZulu. The teams, chosen from different provinces, will be at loggerheads for the chance to be crowned the first inaugural Charity Showdown Champions.
Group Head of e.tv Channels Division, Monde Twala, said: “We have a very friendly soccer family in South Africa, who are always willing to give their time to help the needy. This event was initiated mainly to raise funds in order to help a feeding scheme. Lunchbox Fund has set their target to feed children in different areas in and around Johannesburg at schools.
“We as a TV network support this as well as the idea to set up a Charity Cup between some of the top PSL teams.”
The event will start at 09:00 with the first two teams taking each other on. The next semi-finals will take place at 12:00 with the finals being played at 16:00. In the meantime, on the fields adjacent to the soccer field at Bidvest Wits, the day will also be packed with family-inclusive activities happening simultaneously with the soccer games. These include a Family Fun Zone complete with a Food Market, a kiddies area with child minders, jumping castles, face painters and clowns. There will also be a beer garden, VIP Hospitality, as well as a Showdown Concert, featuring some of South Africa’s top selling bands.
Aside from the brand new Cup, the teams will be competing for a grand prize that will be donated to The Lunchbox Fund, a nationwide charity that feeds impoverished schoolchildren. This is in the spirit of Nelson Mandela who encouraged e.tv to be part of various humanitarian causes.
“Soccer is one of the most popular sports in this country, and education is one of the most critical childhood development tools. The combination of the chosen charity, which gives young people the opportunity to fully partake in their education; and the solidarity of sportsmanship makes for a formidable partnership in shaping the future for many young South Africans,” said Group Head e.tv Channels Division Monde Twala.
Families will also get a chance to win OpenView HD decoders throughout the day, as well as meet some of e.tv’s stars and personalities.