On 13 December, Chery South Africa and Lions Rugby Company once again picked up the charity ball and drove over the try line, when they handed out gifts to children with life threatening illnesses at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital’s children’s ward.
This beautiful effort by the two iconic South African brands, one from the auto industry and one from the world of sports, was the result of an earlier initiative by the Lions encouraging fans to brighten a child’s Christmas by donating toys at a recent Vodacom United Rugby match against the Dragons, which took place at Emirates Airline Park.
The many gifts brought to the stadium by fans were collected, packaged and dropped off at the ward for children with life-threatening diseases by Chery team members and players from the Lions Rugby teams.
The hand-over coincided with a special Christmas party for all the children in the children’s ward. This was hosted by the Reach for a Dream Foundation with the help of Chery South Africa and the Lions.
For both brands, magnanimous gestures like these are the rule rather than the exception.
Last year, the Lions hosted their neighbours, Dlala Nje, a youth community centre based inside the Ponte Tower, for a Christmas party.
“As the Lions, we are extremely delighted to be part of the heart-warming initiative. It’s the season for giving and today shows how acts of kindness can change the lives of children during the festive period.
“Furthermore, initiatives such as these are all part of our mission of connecting with the people of Jozi in various ways and making an impact on the communities around the city. A massive thank you to all Lions’ fans and other stakeholders involved who once again, as they did last year, made a huge contribution of toys during the campaign.
“A further thank you to our official vehicle partner, Chery, for accompanying us on this journey,” said Rudolf Straeuli, CEO of the Lions Rugby Company.
Chery, of course, has become synonymous with charity events like these in South Africa. This was just another opportunity for them to make good on their slogan of #With Chery With Love. Earlier this year they came to the aid of Othandweni Family Care Centre in Soweto on Fathers’ Day and were also the benefactor of various charities on Mandela Day.
This also comes on the back of the announcement, in October, of Chery Automobile and UNICEF’s new two-year, $6 million partnership, in support of education programmes around the world.
“While Chery has a jam-packed schedule of charitable events, hosted both by the head office and our dealer partners, it was a wonderful experience to be able to join Lions Rugby and Reach for a Dream to make this event a reality,” says , Jay Jay Botes, General Manager of Chery South Africa.
“The party was a fitting way for us to wrap up a very busy year that has seen our market share and network grow rapidly.”
winter underdog
Thuli Madonsela – Former Public Protector, Current Professor of Law, holding a seat in social justice at Stellenbosch University since January 2018. \”Thuli Madonsela is very centred. Her leadership style is non-reactive and very clearly on point. She signals her intention and she holds her presence. This gives her enormous integrity and adds credibility and moral authority to her professional presence,\” says Liz de Wet, course convenor of the Women in Leadership programme at the UCT Graduate School of Business. Thuli Madonsela\’s greatest influence on the business industry is being a voice of integrity and reminding business leaders of the importance of ethical governance and business practises. \”Business is in a position of power and privilege, and business has a voice‚ in the same way that when you become an advocate‚ you gain a voice. It also means that you maintain an obligation to leverage your influence for good‚\” said Madonsela. In 2014, she made Time Magazine\’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2016, she was named Forbes Africa Person of the Year. In 2017, she won the 3rd Commonwealth Law Conference Rule of Law Award.