Imagine that it’s the middle of October and you have just received some dreadful news. It’s not something that you were expecting and it is something that’s going to turn your entire world upside down.
The person you are closest to in this world has just been diagnosed with leukaemia. What do you do? You can’t think straight, so many questions are racing through your head, “What can I do to help?” is probably what you were thinking.
Here’s what you can do: Pick n Pay and BP Express stores will be selling bandanas for only R20 in support of The Sunflower Fund National Bandana Day. Wear your bandana on the 12th October 2011 to show your solidarity towards the brave fight that these patients face daily. All the money raised goes towards assisting The Sunflower Fund in increasing the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR), which exists to find and match bone marrow stem cell donors for patients who need a transplant, such as those with leukaemia and other life threatening blood disorders.
Your R20 doesn’t only buy a bandana; it buys hope, relief and a future for the people who really need it.
The 2011 Bandana Design was designed by multi-award winning South African designer Karen Monk-Klijnstra. She is committed to uplifting the plight of others and is extremely excited about Bandana Day this year.
“When The Sunflower Fund approached me to do this I was so overwhelmed at the enormous honour of being attached to the bandana. There are very few people in this country that don’t know about the bandana. Each and every project that I embark on with The Sunflower Fund is extremely exciting and meaningful BUT this just sent me over the edge! The mere thought that I in a small way could touch the hearts of so many people by getting involved in the design process made the effort that Boudewijn (my husband) and I put in worth every minute. It has been a wonderful learning curve from the commercial design process and working with Disney SA and The Sunflower Fund. All in all an amazing experience! I am so amped to see it spring to life!” – Karen Monk-Klijnstra
The Sunflower Fund has been kindly assisted by Jupiter Drawing Room for this year’s emotive bandana day media campaign. The Red Cross War Children’s Memorial Hospital kindly assisted The Sunflower Fund by arranging for young patients, suffering from cancer, to be a part of the bandana day campaign in between their treatments. All of the young patients were so brave, energetic, full of smiles and thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the campaign.
The Association of Round Table of Southern Africa, including Namibia have been working together with The Sunflower Fund for many years as a national alliance for Round Table. The Tablers have given incredible support to The Sunflower Fund National Bandana Day campaign and will be assisting us again for National Bandana Day 2011, in creating much needed public awareness, donor recruitment and bandana sales around SA and Namibia.
There are many individuals and companies who support this important event each year and our main sponsors and supporters for 2011 include Pick n Pay, BP Express, Round Table Southern Africa, DSTV, e.tv, Cinemark, Disney SA, Newsclip and BEE Empowered. The Sunflower Fund National Bandana Day is once again being endorsed by one of our patrons, The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town as well as Premier Helen Zille.
“We are really hoping that the SA public and coporates will come out in full force this year and support National Bandana Day and we appeal to all the schools in South Africa to support us by encouraging learners to buy a bandana from Pick ‘n Pay or BP Express shops and allow them to wear it on 12 October 2011” concludes The Sunflower Fund CEO, Tina Botha.
You could save someone’s life by showing your support. The Sunflower Fund educates and recruits potential bone marrow stem cell donors to increase the SABMR in order to save the lives of patients suffering from leukaemia and other life threatening blood disorders. 75% of patients are under the age of 25.
Becoming a bone marrow stem cell donor is simple and easy, all you have to do is call 0800 12 10 82 to register or visit www.sunflower fund.org.za to find out more. All it takes is 2 test tubes of blood to register and you could be the miracle a patient is waiting for.
Help The Sunflower Fund build a state asset that could protect future sufferers as well as provide hope to patients who are in desperate need of an opportunity to life right now.
WEAR YOUR BANDANA ON 12TH OCTOBER TO SHOW YOUR SOLIDARITY TOWARDS THE BRAVE FIGHT THAT THESE PATEINTS FACE DAILY AND BE PART OF THE SUNFLOWER FUND NATIONAL BANDANA DAY.
I have found that bandanas tend not to always are working for me because they will fallout of set or this knot will come undone. There are actually bandanas using elastic within the back so your bandana cannot come untied. This can be described as big help for my situation because My partner and i don’t like to worry regarding my locks getting all messed up.