The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been felt heavily by the NGO sector.
Many organisations have cancelled fund-raising events due to social distancing requirements.
One of these organisations is the Sunflower Fund, a donor recruitment centre and stem cell registry.
Traci Sassenberg from the fund said they assist patients with blood cancers like leukaemia who are in need of a life-saving blood stem cell or bone marrow transplant, by growing and maintaining an ethnically diverse registry of donors committed to helping anyone in need of a transplant.
The fund has, however, come up with an innovative challenge to raise funds during lockdown.
They are calling on the community to join in the Steps4Hope challenge.
“You can make a difference from the comfort of your home by joining the challenge.
“Steps4Hope is modelled off the idea of The Everest Challenge, which aims to replicate the distance from the base to the summit by climbing stairs in a team relay totalling 8 848m,” said Sassenberg.
Sassenberg added The Everest Challenge is one of the fund’s most successful fund-raising events and was initiated by a transplant survivor who subsequently summited Everest and continues to be a great supporter of the cause.
“Get the family involved and get moving. You need to complete roughly 12 000 steps to cover the distance. It is much easier than climbing Everest, but fun all the same,” said Sassenberg.
It costs the Sunflower Fund R3 100 per donor when recruited.
All funds raised will go towards subsiding costs as well as to grow the patient support fund through which The Sunflower Funds assists patients with the cost associated with getting a transplant.
For more information visit www.sunflowerfund.org, WhatsApp 074 715 0212 or call 0800 12 10 82.
Steps on how to get involved:
1. Visit www.givengain.com/c/sunflowerfund and sign up as a fund-raiser to show your support and involvement.
2. Share the link with your friends and family and get them to support The Sunflower Fund for every step you complete towards the challenge.
3. Share photos and videos of your/your family’s efforts as you tackle your 12 000 steps, and add obstacles to make it more challenging for yourself.
4. Post your videos on social media, tag @SunflowerFund and use #Steps4Hope in your post.
