The Sunflower Fund partnered by DKMS’s annual Sunflower Day campaign will be commemorated on Friday 13 November this year.
The much-loved and very practical Tube of Hope (TOPE) is a multi-purpose accessory and is a key element of Sunflower Day, the biggest fundraising and awareness raising initiative for the cause of blood stem cell donation in South Africa. Proceeds from the sales of the product enables the organisation to recruit blood stem cell donors, offering the hope of cure for patients diagnosed with life-threatening blood diseases like leukaemia, sickle cell disease and aplastic anaemia to name a few. It also contributes to the growth of the patient support fund, which helps patients with the cost of getting to transplant, support without which many patients would not survive, even if their rare matching donor is found.
Due to the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the campaign was moved from its signature date on the third Friday in September, to November.
“The campaign now in its 17th year has been the single biggest campaign to educate the public and make them aware of the urgent need for donors in South Africa and we could not achieve this without the support of our valued partners like Pick ‘n Pay,” said Alana James, CEO of The Sunflower Fund.
“The TOPE has always been popular with our customers, and this year we expect even more excitement as South Africans look to add to their face mask or buff collection. By buying a TOPE, customers help create awareness for the Sunflower Fund and donate towards the critical work they do driving stem-cell donor numbers locally,” says Suzanne-Ackerman-Berman, transformation director at Pick n Pay.
Retailing again for just R30 at Pick n Pay stores nationwide, selected independent pharmacies and online at Zando, the design is inspired by people taking action to bring hope to patients in need of a stem cell transplant.
The TOPE comes in six vibrant unisex colours: Blue, Green, Yellow, Pink, Red and Black.
In addition to the sale of TOPES, The Sunflower Fund is urging all supporters to consider planning a mini event or fundraiser to commemorate Sunflower Day and help with much needed fundraising efforts to grow the patient support fund.
To partner with The Sunflower Fund as a host for a Sunflower Day celebration event contact Traci Sassenberg on 021 701 0661 or traci@sunflowerfund.org.