Hot 91.9FM Teddy-thon raises R1.5m to make a difference

It was difficult to be cynical or negative yesterday when the people of South Africa proved they can get beyond the petty peeves of ordinary life and help those less fortunate than themselves by donating R1.5 million to the HOT 91.9FM Hot Care Teddy-thon campaign.

And, some were learning young.

Jeremy Mansfield, host of Mansfield in the Morning, was gobsmacked when, at 6.50am, little Tyla from St Teresa’s School in Craighall called in and donated her November pocket money of R300 to the Teddy-thon.

She was very excited as Jeremy’s co-host, Sam Cowen, attended the same school as her. She said she wanted to help people who were less fortunate and that was the reason she donated her pocket money.

By midday, last year’s pledge total of R1 million was beaten through a combination of large donations and small ones – like little David who arrived with the R20 that he got on Wednesday from the tooth fairy.

Presenter Mark Pilgrim said: “It is testament to the dedication and caring of our listeners towards the community. For me, it’s about when you see the tears of gratitude in the eyes of a recipient, it makes it all worthwhile.”

Lloyd Madurai, managing director of HOT 91.9FM, said the vision of the station “has always been to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around us through sustainable projects within our community”.

“Over the past four years, Hot 91.9FM has become No 1 in the hearts of our listeners and has changed the landscape of radio with a purpose and cause in Joburg. We are simply a conduit for the generosity of our audience.”

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