You can show your support for The Sunflower Fund at the Currie Cup clash between DHL Western Province and the Steval Pumas, at DHL Newlands, on Saturday.

You can show your support for The Sunflower Fund at the Currie Cup clash between DHL Western Province and the Steval Pumas, at DHL Newlands, on Saturday.

The Sunflower Fund is a non-profit organisation dedicated to creating awareness, educating the public and facilitating the registration process for people to join the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR).

Increasing the number of donors listed on the national database offers hope to hundreds of South Africans with blood diseases such as leukaemia who have reached the point where their only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant.

Friday, 16 September is national Sunflower Day, and people are encouraged to show their support for this worthy cause by purchasing a tube of hope, or Tope. A Tope is a multipurpose article of clothing, with practical functionality, for the whole family and can be worn in a variety of ways – headband, mask, scarf, cap or armband.

Following on from Sunflower Day, The Sunflower Fund will be collecting donations at the gate ahead of the Currie Cup game between DHL Western Province and the Steval Pumas at DHL Newlands on Saturday. The Girl Guides will be on hand to assist The Sunflower Fund, wearing bright yellow t-shirts at the entrances to DHL Newlands collecting all donations.

Regional Manager, Western Cape of The Sunflower Fund, Adi Phillips, said that it is fantastic to team up with DHL Western Province to further strengthen their cause.

“We have a number of ambassadors who play for DHL Western Province, so the opportunity to come together with them on the day after Sunflower Day to raise funds at DHL Newlands is really exciting.

“The money raised by the collection at the gate at DHL Newlands on Saturday will be used to continue the momentum generated on Sunflower Day, to create more awareness of the importance of the South African Bone Marrow Registry,” he said.

President of the Western Province Rugby Football Union, Mr Thelo Wakefield, said that The Sunflower Fund deserves as much support as possible.

“I would like to encourage our faithful fans to support The Sunflower Fund, who do such important work, at DHL Newlands on Saturday.

“The South African Bone Marrow Registry is a beacon of hope, and we are proud to do everything we can to get behind The Sunflower Fund,” he said.

DHL Western Province player and The Sunflower Fund ambassador, Siya Kolisi, said that it is great to see his union getting behind such a worthy cause.

“I have been an ambassador for The Sunflower Fund for some time, and I hope to see some DHL Western Province fans wearing their Topes at DHL Newlands on Saturday,” he said.