Pizza and celeb power are raising money for a Cape Town children’s hospital.
The three South African celebrities have collaborated with Col’Cacchio to raise funds for the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital in the 2018 edition of the Celebrity Chef Showdown, which launched at the pizza eatery on the Foreshore last week.
Celebrity chef Siba Mtongana, Afrikaans rapper Jack Parow and social media personality Nadia Jaftha have each created their own pizza.
Of each pizza sold at a Col’Cacchio branch, R5 will
be donated to the Children’s Hospital Trust, on behalf of the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
The pizzas will be available until the end of November.
The co-founder of Col’Cacchio, Michael Terespolsky, said they had started the Celebrity Chef Showdown 10 years ago.
“The charity, short of a year, has always been Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital because it’s a charity where every cent goes towards the cause, and it’s an amazing facility for children.”
Louise Driver, the CEO of the Hospital Children’s Trust, said that Red Cross was an incredible place of hope and healing for children.
“We try to help the hospital with funding, but we couldn’t do it
without our donors. Col’cacchio
is our longest corporate partnership, and over the last decade, they’ve raised R2 million for the hospital.”
The showdown’s proceeds will be used to upgrade the hospital’s emergency ward.
The trust’s Nokuthula Bonga said they would launch a campaign early next year to raise funds for the emergency centre, which needs to have another lift installed, one that goes directly to the intensive care unit.
“It is currently very cramped. There are still logistics that need to be sorted out, but the idea is to create more space,” she said.
Ms Jaftha, a popular internet sensation, said she had a “big soft spot” for the youth.
“A lot of my work involves youth and is aimed at them, so it was a pleasure for me.”
She said everyone liked pizza, so they might as well eat pizza for a good cause.
She created Jou Masala, a masala chicken pizza.
“I grew up with my mother using different masala, so it’s a play on the cooking I grew up with.”
Ms Mtongana said she wanted to do something to help children because she is a mother of four.
Her pizza, Sibalicious, was inspired by a dish that her children love: sticky chicken wings.
“I thought that because the charity is directed at children, I will use something that children love. Instead of using chicken wings, we used thighs and the same sauce, and incorporated some piquanté peppers as well. I loved it so much, I put my name on it”.
Jack Parow has worked with Red Cross before and said it was a really special place.
“What they do for the children is great, so I was happy to do anything I could to help.”
He said he’s no good as a chef, but he can braai well.
“My pizza is braai inspired, with braaiwors and braai sauce, called Wors Tokolosh.”
Col’Cacchio will also provide a QR code for people to donate to the cause.
The code will be available at participating eateries.