Edcon Supports Casual Day

Edcon Supports Casual Day

Press Release

31 August 2009

Edcon Supports Disabilities Through the National Casual Day Campaign

Edcon invites South Africans to wear their hearts on their sleeves on Casual Day

Every year on the first Friday of September South Africans are invited to dress differently and wear their Casual Day sticker in support of persons with disabilities.

Once again Edcon will be behind the National Casual Day campaign taking place on September 4 2009, but for the first time in its five year history of supporting this worthy cause, the company will be selling R10 Casual Day stickers directly to the public via all its retail outlets including Boardmans, CNA, Edgars, Discom, Jet, Jet Mart, Jet Shoes, Legit, Prato, Red Square and Temptation stores.

All funds raised via ticket sales are donated to six national beneficiaries that include The National Council for Persons with Physical Disabilities in South Africa (NCPPDSA), The South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB), Epilepsy SA, The South African Federation for Mental Health, Deaf Federation of South Africa (DEAFSA), and Disabled People South Africa (DPSA); which in turn provide funding for approximately 200 non profit organisations whose services include job creation, poverty alleviation, upliftment, housing, education. In 2008, Casual Day raised more than R15, 6 million through generous South Africans who purchased Casual Day stickers. Since its inception 15 years ago Casual Day has raised more than R90m.

Says CSI Project Manager, Jackie Mehlomakulu, “This year Edcon is extending its’ fundraising efforts to include infrastructure support via the distribution and sale of Casual Day stickers directly to our customers in the hope that we can encourage more and more South Africans to support this important initiative. By supporting Casual Day the public isn’t only supporting one organisation, but a range of needy organisations in the field of disability.”

Historically, Edcon has supported Casual Day since 2005 as part of a Group staff programme, with its’ annual fundraising efforts increasing from R192 000 in 2006 to R220 000 in 2007 and finally, R331 244 in 2008. Edcon was awarded first place under the corporate category for the highest amount raised by any company in 2006 and 2008 and came in second in 2007.

Hundreds of non-government organisations received money from the collective Casual Day fundraising effort last year, including:

• The Talitha Stimulation Centre in Alberton, which developed a playground for their disabled children
• The Uitenhage Mental Health renovated a building and bought equipment and furniture
• The Nuwe Hoop Centre in Worcester purchased toiletries for disadvantaged children
• The Northern Lights School in Port Elizabeth was able to fund transportation of children to the school
• The Frances Vorwerg School in Southdale bought electric wheelchairs
• The APD Olifants River in Vredendal bought therapeutic toys for disabled children
• The Epilepsy SA Western Cape in Observatory bought two new computers and a laptop
• The Association for the Blind & Partially Sighted in Seshego bought a lamination machine to generate an income
• The Retlametswe Special School in Mafikeng paved its’ school grounds where they host their prayer, functions and meetings
• The Jan Kriel School in Kuilsrivier bought an infrared head mouse for a C4/5 quadriplegic
• The Ithembelihle School in Germiston bought a Toyota Condor
• The Efata School in Umtata bought two computers and two Braille machines
• The Durban School for the Hearing Impaired bought hearing aids, visual aids and a digital camera
• The Deaf Community in Cape Town bought a new sewing machine for Deaf women sewing craft ware
• The Association for Autism in Pretoria donated their profits towards the development of new facilities for adults with autism
• The Con Amore School in Kempton Park bought a new school bus to transport their learners
• The APD Northern Cape in Kimberley bought wheel chairs
• Alma School in Pretoria bought a new mini-bus

Members of the public can obtain their R10 Casual Day stickers from their local Edcon stores, countrywide. For more information visit www.edcon.co.za and
 http://www.casualday.co.za/beneficiaries1.htm