PICS: The Johannesburg Junior Council hosts a seven-a-side for charity
JOHANNESBURG – The Johannesburg Junior Council hosted a seven-a-side tournament to raise funds for the non-profit organisation, Growing Champions.
By Andrei van Wyk
The St Johns Academy team at the tournament.
The Johannesburg Junior Council (JJC) hosted a special seven-a-side soccer tournament for charity on 20 May.
The council is a non-governmental organisation made up of 72 young leaders from 36 different schools around the city. The tournament was hosted at Pirates Sports Club who generously allowed the council to use its grounds free of charge. The tournament saw 10 school teams and private clubs going head-to-head on the day.
St Johns Academy players Thabo Malele and Nkosikhona Mabaso.
Half the proceeds collected from the tournament were donated to Growing Champions, a non-profit organisation assisting and mentoring children who are vulnerable to drugs and gangsterism.
The JJC’s chairperson of sports and recreation, Daniel Deeks said, “The council hosts a general meeting in order to chat about events. As we were looking for an organisation to benefit from this event, we found out about Growing Champions who do some amazing work.”
The Johannesburg Junior Council’s vice-chairperson of sports and recreation, Nikyle Moodley, chairperson for sports and recreation, Daniel Deeks, Mayor Callum Beukes and Vice-mayor Amy Weinerlein.
Mayor of JJC, Callum Beukes said, “They are an amazing organisation who find underprivileged and vulnerable children on the streets, who are from drug-ridden families and places them in a boarding school system. They feed them and pay for their school fees. They have become a family.”
Beukes added that the organisation also has a soccer club which competes in their local league. He added that the club could not compete on the day of the tournament due to a scheduled league match.
Lwazi Guliwe and Lethabo Mailula.
The event also acted as an important lesson for the youth to get involved in community projects. Deeks added, “Youths are still the people who are very open and haven’t been completely moulded by society and we can think for ourselves, so, taking part in these initiatives and building bridges is extremely important.”
Vice-chairperson of sports and recreation Nikyle Moodley said the organisation placed extra emphasis on building a community of different schools to support the tournament.
The winning team from the tournament Greenside High School with the Johannesburg Junior Council.
The tournament was a great success with the organisation raising approximately R8 000 and Greenside High School winning first place in the tournament overall.
