A Rondebosch school raised just over R11 000 for the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC) in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
For the entire month of October, Rondebosch East Primary School held various awareness drives and used its weekly assemblies to raise awareness about cancer.
The school held a mass cupcake sale in the hall earlier this month, which generated R11 102.
They handed over the cheque to CHOC regional manager, Lynette Muthuray, on Friday November 15, during a special assembly where pupils read poems and sang.
Acting principal Frieda Brocker said the event had been so well supported that they managed to donate left-over cupcakes to Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Woodside Special Care Centre.
“The entire hall was packed with cupcakes. We are thankful to our staff and parents for their support,” she said.
Ms Brocker said she had found out about CHOC when her daughter was diagnosed with leukaemia and had to undergo a bone-marrow transplant.The school felt it fitting to raise funds for the organisation.
“Cancer is something personal to us at this school, having gone through the journey with my daughter. Another teacher’s mother was recently diagnosed with cancer as well,” she said.
CHOC provides care and support to children and teenagers diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders. They offer a range of services to Groote Schuur Hospital, Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital, which includes counselling, accommodation close to treatment centres, transport to and from treatment centres, support groups (including parent support), transport grants and food support.
They have houses in Sybrand Park, Plumstead and Tygerberg.
They also run an awareness programme to train and educate health-care professionals and traditional practitioners on the early warning signs of childhood cancer.
CHOC fund-raising co-ordinator, Gadija Israel, said they were thankful for the donation.
“It is donations like these that help us to continue support children and teenagers who are battling cancer and rare blood disorders. This donation comes in handy with the running costs of our three CHOC houses in the province,” she said.