Comfy feet, happy hearts

The Reach For A Dream foundation based in Rosebank launched its major annual fundraiser at Wimpy Mall of Africa on June 29.

Slipper Day is one of the foundation’s biggest fundraisers where the public is encouraged to swap their shoes for a pair of slippers for a day. All participants have to purchase a R10 sticker from Pick n Pay stores or Wimpy restaurants nationwide and the proceeds of the day are used to fulfil dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses in hospitals across the city.

Julia Sotitianakos, CEO of the foundation, said the whole symbol around slippers was to remember these children who could not be in their school shoes. “We fulfill dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses between the ages of three and 18,” said Sotitianakos.

“The launch that we are doing today is to create awareness because all stickers go up on sale on 1 July and we want the whole of Johannesburg to buy them.”

August 5 is the official Slipper Day this year, and the foundation is hoping to raise R6.5 million on the day.

Chairman of the foundation, Mervyn Serebro who lost a son to cancer, said, based on his experience, he understood what families of ill children faced, and added that there was a need to connect with people who are suffering from the pain of not knowing and the fear of potential loss. “This is an environment which engages with those children and their families and helps them to feel a sense of hope and focus on the future,” said Serebro.

“We engage with 46 000 children for a year across all of our activities, including dream fulfilment.”

Natalie du Toit, Paralympic gold medallist, was one of the speakers for the day, inspired the little ones and encouraged them to always dream. “Life is about opportunities, there are going to be challenges that come our way but it’s to grab those opportunities and to go with them,” she said.

“It has been special for me to show people that you can achieve anything. No matter who we are – as long as we have the winning spirit, we can achieve anything.”

The foundation is appealing to all South Africans to partner with them by purchasing stickers and raising double the funds from last year which will increase the number of dreams and projects that can be fulfilled in the near future.

“What is amazing is that if you have a sticker on 5 August, official Slipper Day, if you go to a Wimpy store in your slippers, you’ll get a free coffee,” concluded Sotitianakos.