Pizza drive raises R380 000 for hospital

NEARLY R400 000 has been raised to help build a state-of-the-art emergency unit for the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.

The donation was handed to the Children’s Hospital Trust by the Col’Cacchio Food Group co-founder, Kinga Baranowska, yesterday.

Now in its tenth year, Col’Cacchio’s campaign has raised over R2 million for charitable causes through a R5 donation from the sale of each celebrity chef pizza.

She said the campaign would not be possible without the support of the public, their chefs/celebs, sponsors and the entire Col’Cacchio staff.

“We took this concept and thought outside (the box), and got celebrity chefs Margot Janse, Mike Basset and Reuben Riffel involved. Over the years, the celebrity chef showdown has grown.

“Through the campaign, we have raised R380 000 for such a worthy cause and we are extremely proud.”

Baranowska said a hospital was generally not a place of joy, but the children, despite their condition, were always in a joyous mood due to the hard work and dedication of the hospital’s doctors, nurses and staff.

A total of 35 817 celebrity chef pizzas, created by rapper Jack Parow, social media influencer Nadia Jaftha and celebrity chef Siba Mtongana, were sold for the campaign, which ran from September to November.

Trust chief executive Louise Driver said the current fund-raising efforts were geared towards raising R112m to upgrade the hospital’s existing emergency centre.

“Over 45 000 children go through the hospital’s emergency unit each year, with 125 critically ill or injured children attended to in the emergency centre every day, with only 25 available beds. Funds raised through this campaign will 100% go directly to the upgrade of the medical and trauma resuscitation areas to increase the number of consultation and procedure rooms and so much more.”

Driver said the trust was grateful and thrilled to be selected as the charitable cause to support.

Parow said he was proud to play his part in the campaign. He toured the hospital and was brought close to tears by the condition of some of the children.

Jaftha’s “Jou Ma Sala” contribution was inspired by her mother. She said she was pleased to help raise muchneeded funds for such a worthy cause.