The highly-anticipated National Cupcake Day 4 Kids with Cancer is coming to Shelly Centre and Scottburgh Mall on September 28.
The event that has taken place since 2012 to raise funds for Cupcakes of Hope will also happen at 10 other malls in KZN.
Sandy Cipriano, the founder of Cupcakes of Hope, said they have assisted more than 10 000 patients over the last 10 years.
She explained that the event started when her friend lost her three-year-old to cancer, and she then started raising funds with her husband for children with cancer.
She said they registered the non-profit Cupcakes of Hope in 2012.
“Since then, via the community-driven National Cupcake Days, over R10m has been raised to provide for hundreds of young cancer patients and their families every month. This includes covering their medical bills and other essential needs, from nappies to nutrition and everything in between. The youngest patient that has been helped was only four months old when diagnosed,” she said.
She added that the organisation is contacted by oncologists, hospitals, social workers and hospice with requests to assist.
She said they also assist with requests of the Cancer Association of South Africa’s (CANSA) Tough Living with Cancer (TLC) programme that focuses on supporting the parents and caregivers of young cancer patients.
CANSA service manager of childhood cancer, Anina Meiring, said the partnership is a continued strength of support, helping with several care and support packs for their little ones and parents.
Shelly Centre mall co-ordinator Ranjinee Ramdeen is in her 10th year as a cupcake angel and her second year as a mall co-ordinator.
“I started volunteering with my brother Nilesh and daughter Rachna. We became volunteers after we went through the trauma of having a child with cancer. Rachna had Hodgkin’s lymphoma but was in remission. Unfortunately, she relapsed and died at 16 years old. From that moment, my entire family pledged to be cupcake angels as we have first-hand experience,” she said.
This year, Ramdeen will also be baking 500 cupcakes in memory of her late daughter.
Meanwhile, Cipriano said: “God has truly blessed our cause with the most amazing volunteers in the world. Thousands of bakers and volunteers give their time, ingredients, love and passion every year. There is nothing sweeter to me than seeing the excitement and joy that everyone shows on our biggest day of the year – National Cupcake Day.”
Registration to bake and participate in National Cupcake Day 4 Children with Cancer, is now open. People can also participate by buying cupcakes on the day at any one of the malls.
For more information: https://cupcakesofhope.org/
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