Get ready for Flip Flop Day
RIVONIA – Help raise money towards childhood cancer awareness by wearing your flip flops on 14 February.
![](https://images.caxton.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2020/01/IMG_7184_61950.jpg)
Community members are urged to support CHOC’s first annual Flip Flop Day on 14 February to raise money toward childhood cancer awareness.
Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa (CHOC) is an NPO which aims to provide life-changing and all-embracing support programmes to children, teenagers and their families struggling with cancer. CHOC assists in providing emotional support, transport, accommodation, practical support, awareness, education and more.
CEO of CHOC Carl Queiros said, “Flip flops are basically a South African wardrobe pre-requisite. Everyone wears them and everyone loves them. The journey that children and teenagers with cancer face is in no way light-hearted at all, but creating an annual event like Flip Flop Day that raises money towards childhood cancer awareness is definitely a time to be joyous and needs a fully-loaded feel-good factor.”
“We hope to see the public come out in full force, in their flip flops on 14 February 2020, to show some love for young ones,” said Queiros.
Communications coordinator at CHOC Taryn Seegers said that during 2019 there has been a significant increase in people seen by CHOC.
“We served 3 394 people (1 533 children, 203 teens and 1 658 adults) in comparison to 2 512 the previous year,” said Seegers.
She explained that cancer is a rare disease and one out of 408 children under age 16 might get cancer.
“Internationally, 150 per million children are diagnosed with cancer annually. According to the accepted population incidence rate, South Africa should diagnose around 2 500 children per annum, but currently, between 1 000 and 1 500 new cases are reported per annum.”
Seegers said that the survival rates in high-income countries reach an average of 84 per cent and are steadily improving even in less-resourced areas of the world where there are integrated care programmes. The child cancer survival rate in South Africa is on the rise, however, it should still be higher.”
The Flip Flip Day campaign is supported by PNA Stationers. Community members can pop into any PNA store and grab a Flip Flop Day sticker for R10. Stickers can also be purchased from the CHOC regional office in Saxonwold or the head office in Rivonia.
Related articles:
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/218077/buy-a-choccie-for-choc/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/237951/take-these-steps-to-ensuring-your-childs-well-being/
https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/227774/bryanston-primary-learners-host-cup-4-cancer-to-help-raise-money-for-choc/