Get ready to get involved

Every year our newsroom goes a little crazy on 18 July, trying to cover as many Mandela Day stories as we can.

Mandela Day is a day that unites the many communities of Joburg. You witness businessmen and women who are normally holed up in their offices, getting dirty in their jeans, be it planting veggies, painting walls, playing with dogs and cats, or wiping spittle off their shirts from a precious baby they have been cradling. You observe the love people have in their hearts, and while every year you hear people say ‘every day should be Mandela Day’ we all know that will never happen, as awesome as it would be.

The Rosebank Killarney Gazette team will be out in full force on this day, giving as much publicity to needy organisations as we can. We will also be publishing charities’ wish-lists and what they hope to get from Mandela Day in the weeks leading up to 18 July. If you know of an organisation in need of some help, please write to us and tell us about them, so we can in turn let other residents know about the work they do.

If your company or business has exciting plans for the day, we would like to know about these too.

For those individuals and companies who have not made plans for the day, and are not planning on doing anything, I urge you to reconsider. This is one day out of your life. A day that truly keeps our late president Nelson Mandela’s spirit alive – and considering that this will be the first Mandela Day without Tata – it makes it that much more special.

It is because of Mandela and many other national heroes that we are able to live the lives we do. The least we can do is spend the day, even if it is only for an hour, honouring him.

Don’t forget to go to www.rosebankkillarneygazette.co.za to stay updated with the happenings in your community on the day.

Post your photos of your companies good will on the  Rosebank Killarney Gazette Facebook page

Or Tweet @RK_Gazette and tell us your experience of the day.