Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times - April 27, 2003
Nashira Davids
These South Africans will be supporting the second Starfish 1000 Dinners of Hope.
The initiative involves hosting a dinner at one's home and asking guests for a donation which will go to Starfish, a charity aimed at improving the lives of HIV/Aids orphans in South Africa.
Last year's initiative raised more than R300 000. The money went to Gozololo, a centre for needy children in KwaZulu-Natal. This year organisers hope to rake in close to R1.5-million to help even more children throughout the country.
The Starfish charity was established in 2001 by a group of young South African professionals, living in London, who realised that HIV/Aids had orphaned thousands of children.
This group of lawyers, merchant bankers and marketing specialists wanted to make a difference. They started with small fundraising events in the UK, and in six months they raised R750 000.
On Freedom Day last year, the organisation was launched in South Africa when the first 1 000 Dinners of Hope took place.
Anthony Farr, director of Starfish, said they had chosen Freedom Day for the 1 000 Dinners of Hope because there is so much to celebrate on that day.
"We feel that even though Freedom Day is such an important date on our calendar , it slips past almost unnoticed. In the US they have July 4, but we have so much more to celebrate," he said.
Farr said 2 500 people from 10 different countries participated in the initiative last year.
"A cocktail function was held in Oxford, there were South Africans running around in California looking for biltong and even Pieter-Dirk Uys had a function at his theatre in Darling," said Farr.
Celebrities
This year several South African celebrities, including TV presenters Marius Roberts and Ashley Hayden, and Miss SA Cindy Nel will support the initiative.
Sewende Laan actress Vinette Ebrahim, who plays Charmaine in the popular soapie, will host a dinner with her partner Ivan Lucas at the Merely Mortal Art Gallery in Craighall Park.
Elsa Kruger, publicity co-ordinator for Sewende Laan, said many cast members would attend.
"This is a cause close to her [Ebrahim's] heart. She feels that it is a worthy cause and she wants to support the Starfish project wholeheartedly ," said Kruger.
Josephine Swainbank from Riverclub in Sandton, is one of an estimated 4 500 people from around the world who will host a dinner.
Swainbank is a member of the Thursday Club, which consists of a group of friends who organise monthly functions to raise money for South African charities, including Starfish.
So far they have raised R11 000 for the charity and today Swainbank hopes to add another R800 to the total.
"I have invited eight guests and I've asked them to bring R100 each. This is my first Starfish dinner and I am looking forward to it," said Swainbank.
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