Add a Sunflower Fund tope to your buff collection

The Sunflower Fund’s annual Sunflower Day campaign will be commemorated on November 13 this year.

The much-loved and very practical Tube of Hope (Tope) goes on sale at the beginning of October.

The Tope is a multi-purpose accessory and is a key element of Sunflower Day, the biggest fund-raising and awareness raising initiative for the cause of blood stem cell donation in South Africa.

Proceeds from the sales of the product enables the organisation to recruit blood stem cell donors offering the hope of cure for patients diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases, like leukaemia, sickle cell disease and aplastic anaemia to name a few.

It also contributes to the growth of the patient assistance fund, which helps patients with the cost of getting to transplant, support without which many patients would not survive even if their rare matching donor is found.

Due to the impact of lockdown restrictions, the campaign was moved from its signature date on the third Friday in September to a new date in November.

“It’s been incredibly special to see the immense interest from the public about when the product will finally hit the stores,” said Alana James, CEO of The Sunflower Fund.

“The campaign, now in its 17th year, has been the single biggest campaign to educate the public and make them aware of the urgent need for donors in South Africa. We could not achieve this without the support of our valued partners like Pick n Pay,” James added.

“The Tope has always been popular with our customers, and this year we expect even more excitement as South Africans look to add to their mask or buff collection. The Sunflower Day Tope lets customers keep safe while also supporting an amazing cause.

“By buying a Tope, customers help create awareness about The Sunflower Fund and donate towards the critical work they do driving stem cell donor numbers locally,” said Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, transformation director at Pick n Pay.

Retailing again for R30 at Pick n Pay stores nationwide, selected independent pharmacies and online at Zando, the design is inspired by people taking action to bring hope to patients in need of a stem cell transplant.

The tope comes in six vibrant colours (blue, green, yellow, pink, red and black) and is made from a good quality fabric.

In addition to the sale of Topes, The Sunflower Fund is urging all supporters to consider planning a mini-event or fund-raiser to commemorate Sunflower Day and help with much-needed fund-raising efforts to grow the patient support fund.

Individuals between the ages of 18 and 55 with a consistent body weight of more than 50kgs and a BMI of less than 40 should register as donors.

Registration is easy online from the comfort of your home at www.sunflowerfund.org

To partner with The Sunflower Fund as a host for a Sunflower Day celebration event contact Traci Sassenberg on 021 701 0661 or at traci@sunflowerfund.org.

About The Sunflower Fund/DKMS partnership

The Sunflower Fund partnered by DKMS is a donor recruitment centre and stem cell registry for Africa and is part of a global network dedicated to creating awareness about blood diseases and stem cell donation, recruiting blood stem cell donors and maintaining a registry of committed donors. The Sunflower Fund partnered by DKMS pays for the cost of the tissue-type testing. This is fundamental to saving the lives of South Africans and patients globally who need a stem cell transplant. The chance of finding a matching donor is one in 100 000 – and as ethnic origin plays a significant role in the search for a donor, South Africa’s rainbow nation is at a distinct disadvantage, requiring a large pool of prospective donors.

About DKMS
DKMS is an international NPO dedicated to the fight against blood cancer. Founded in 1991 in Germany by Dr Peter Harf, DKMS has expanded internationally in recent years by establishing entities in the US, Poland, the UK, Chile, with BMST in India and in South Africa with The Sunflower Fund partnered by DKMS. Together, they have registered more than 9.9 million potential blood stem cell donors and have given more than 84 000 patients across the globe a second chance at life by facilitating blood stem cell transplants.

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