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Monday, June 15, 2009

Scrub a dub dub Hand out Cape Town



amazing team


The lovely hampers sent by Johsons and Johnsons

The smile says it all...

Thank you CHOC for this beautiful, touching thank you, wow

How stunning!



Wow - i dont think there is a better words to describe the huge success of scrub a dub dub in Cape Town this past Saturday

Nina, you are to amazing for words and i thank you and your team from the bottom of my heart for all the love, devotion, heart, compassion and caring you put into helping over 300 children forget that they are fighting cancer, even if for one day. The day turned out incredible and the love and appreciation on the childrens faces is so very clear! Congratulations to you all - and from me , thank you for being a part of Dec United and Friends and for hearing our call for help - for taking the initiative to start this in Cape Town and for pulling it off so beautifully, i am so grateful, thankful and proud of you Nina and your entire team - please thank everyone for every single product and box and pin and balloon, wow, wow, wow!

A few words from Nina herself on the magical events

God Bless, lots of love

Samm & Deqlans scrub a dub dub army



OUR CHOC HANDOUT TO FOLLOW SOON!


Hi Everyone

Where do I start to describe a weekend filled with miracles, excitement and love......an end to a project that taught me so much, that enriched my life in millions of ways.....meeting and ‘meeting’ the most amazing, caring, loving, giving people!!! I hope I don’t bore you with a long story, but all of you have been part of this project, so I just NEED to tell you EVERYTHING!!

Thursday:
Like those of you that were helping with the packing of the goodies, would know, we did not pack the baby bags over the weekend, because we were waiting on goods from Johnson and Johnson. Have been in contact with Karen from J&J the week before and she have ordered the goodies and said it would take 4 working days to get to me, but she also said that she wasn’t sure if East London would have the stock, so it might not be here in time for the ‘Christmas in June’......I had faith, and was sure it would get here. Thursday afternoon there were NO J&J goodies...so I must admit....my faith wobbled a bit!! Karen was on a course last week, so I phoned Laura who were standing in for Karen and they confirmed that they did request the goodies to be send, but if they didn’t have the stock, it would only arrive later! SHOOOOO, I started to panic........I had to fill 36 baby bags and I don’t even have enough for 10..........!!! And then, at about 2 o clock Thursday afternoon, I get a call from the courier company, looking for my house because they have goodies from J&J to deliver.......doesn’t this just show you, what an amazing miracle to make this project more special!! Thank you Karen, for not only making the babies feel special, but also adding face wash and face cream for the mommies in your goodie bags......I’m sure the mommies will feel so special when they use all their new J&J products!!

Also I have picked up LOTS of goods from Power Construction, the week before packing, and then Melissa Wiehman sent me a mail to say that there are some people that wasn’t in time for delivery and if it is possible to pick up some more goodies!!! WOW, WOW, WOW, and WOW, see for yourselves in the pictures, they gave us bags and bags of toys, more toiletries and also a donation from Vodacom which they used for more toys!! Mel, thank you, I’m so sorry that you got on board so late, but you sure have made a HUGE difference to this project!! Thank you for your effort, your passion…I am so glad you were able to join us on Saturday….also a BIG thank you for delivering the goods to Tygerberg ward to the kids that was unable to go to the Christmas in June party. Also a BIG BIG thank you to Marius Vermeulen from Power Construction and EVERYONE at Power Construction contributing to Scrub a dub and Riette Upton from Vodacom (see beautiful letter from Vodacom attached)….I am still stunned every time I look at the pictures of everything we received from you guys….THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Friday:
We received Build a bear boxes to put all the goodies in (and everyone were SO generous that the boxes were almost too small). Anyway, we had about 180 boxes to get from Gordon’s bay to Tygerberg Hospital. Annaline and P. le Grange came to my rescue by organizing a bakkie and trailer to deliver the goods to Tygerberg....thank you Annaline, you, Estie and Mieke have been such a big help through this whole project, it is a privilege to have met you all, you are an amazing woman, finding the time to do all this and raise two such beautiful teenagers…thank you!!

Saturday:
It started when we had to blow up 180 balloons……again thank you to Annaline, Mieke, Estie, Mel and Davy…..I thought we would take about 2 hours to do this, but with all your help, it took less than an hour!! THANK YOU…next time I promise, I’ll organise coffee and muffins!!

Our event started with Heidi from Build a bear presenting Bearemy and Pawlette….I wish you could have seen that…..Heidi is a fantastic woman….she told the kids about Bearemy and Pawlette and said that if they get a funny feeling in their tummy and they feel that the tears are close, they don’t need to worry, its just because they are excited and then she asked them to call Bearemy and Pawlette…..it really was amazing…..I almost felt like a kid again, with my stomach making a big turn with excitement and anticipation….so I can only imagine how all the kids felt!! Then Bearemy and Pawlette came on stage dancing. They each took a seat and the kids were called. Everything was a little bit chaotic…but with more than 300 kids … what can you expect!!! The kids enjoyed every moment, some stood for photos, some were scared, some gave hugs….but mostly, I think they all felt excited and SPECIAL!! And we even had a girl who’s birthday was on the same day as Pawlette’s!!

Thank you Heidi, I cannot thank the Lord enough for guiding you to this project, you and your team have giving us SO SO much, the boxes, the pins, hearts, balloons, colouring pictures, book covers, Bearemy, Pawlette and most of all your time and love….the love you feel for projects like these, shines through everything you do….we couldn’t have asked for anyone better to hand the goodies that was given with so much love to all these special kids! THANK YOU!!!

Sunday:
And today, for me, was the highlight, I got to deliver the goodies to the patients that was unable to go to the Christmas in June yesterday at Red Cross….and I must admit that even though we were able to give gifts to more patients yesterday…..today was MUCH more special!! I was able to spend one on one time with each patient…to get to know them, to talk to them, to talk to their mom and dad, to take family pictures….but most of all to bring joy in a dull day…even if it is only for 5 or ten minutes!!! I must admit, I kind of dreaded going there….it’s much easier to be involved from a distance…..but I got the guidance and the strength to do this………and again…..I’ve learned that even though I ask the question thousand times a day…..WHY CHILDREN????.........all of these kids were smiling…..all of them had this knowing, courageous, wise smile on their faces…..like they know something that I don’t…..and I left the hospital at peace knowing that even though we so easily doubt the Plan…..it is the best plan possible and our Lord knows best!!!!
Also today is the 1st birthday of a true hero…Declan du Toit…. Declan was an amazing boy….he inspired so many people and keep inspiring daily!! To each of you, you’ve been involved in Scrub a dub, please stay involved in projects like these….let’s help as MANY kids with cancer as we can and by doing this keeping Declan’s legacy alive as this boy really IS a legend!! He has done so much more in eight months than any of us do in a lifetime!! (http://www.all-hands-on-dec.co.za/)

This mail is already TOO long, but I need to say thank you to ALL that was involved!!!! To everyone that contributed goodies and to those that drop-off at our drop-off points, I wish I could thank you everyone by name, but here’s the ones I can thank by name, Ronell Green, Fanie van der Westhuizen, Berlinda Russouw, Belinda Kloppers, my Mom and EVERYONE in the Langkloof who donated goodies, Sanlea Visagie, Desiree Greeff, Done Stewart, Liza Smith and your camping club kids, Chantelle van Zyl, Sandy de Villiers, Joyce van Zyl and everyone else, thank you all SO SO much, we could not have done it without you guys’ contributions!!

Then, a BIG thank you to Mary Witte at Cadbury’s, for donating Chomps to use in goodie boxes, to Chris from Fabric Centre for being SO generous with the material for the toiletry bags, we ended up making about 260 bags from all your denim!! Thank you to Sandy and Angela who took the stitching on you and did about 240 bags with your team. To Caltex who also donated about 180 toiletry bags, thank you so much!! Joy Wedell from Kolnicks who organised towels at cost, thank you Joy, we were SO short on towels, you’re a lifesaver! To Theresa and Franci from Colibri, thank you for your contribution of facecloths, we will use this to give to new patients arriving in the future!!

Also a heartfelt thank you to the following people that contributed financially and allowing us to buy all the goods that we still needed in the end, Michelle van Rooyen, Ann Mudge, Heleen Hayman, Liza Smith, Sharon Kemp, Anna de Witt, my brother Hennie, my mom and dad, Cecile, Amelia, Surina!!! Thank you guys!!

Everyone who have helped with the packing, Sandy and your team, Amelia, Berlinda, Anneline, Estie, Mieke, Ronell, Chantal, Chantelle, Michelle…..was great to have you here, thank you for all your help!!

Zade Boniface, thanks for taking the photo’s yesterday, I cannot wait to see them, thank you for giving up a Saturday for this project, was great to also meet you!!

Kim Blanchard, thank you for making things so much easier down here in Cape Town, thank you for organizing the Dischem goodies, for going through all the work of getting it to us and also for organizing with J&J…..you are an angel, and I cannot wait to meet you!!

Also a thank you to Delene, Brian and Nina from CHOC for allowing us to be part of your Christmas in June…you have put in SO much effort to make this special and I’m so glad that we could have been part of this!! Also for putting up with all my questions and queries!!

Then Samm Higgins……….everyone……she is the boss lady (like Gillian called her) of this project….thank you Samm for making us all aware of what is needed and allowing us to be part of your project….it was amazing to be part of this!! See the COOL acknowledgement that CHOC gave to Samm, but you’ll have to come and visit to get the original!

Also a big thank you to all my new friends in Gauteng, Samm, Gillian, Alicia, Claire, Kim….thank you for inspiring me to do more!!!

And then a last thank you to my husband Davy ………you had to take second place the passed three months and you did not complain once!! Thank you for supporting me, for not complaining (too much) about a garage full of toiletries, about me using all your internet time and about me being so busy!! Thank your for taking the photo’s yesterday and also for being calm and quiet when I started bossing you around because your not doing it the way I want it!! THANK YOU!!

I’m almost sad to be finished with this, but I’m sure that all of us will be working on a new project soon….bone marrow drive already on the go!! Thanks again for everyone’s contribution, support and participation!!

A BIG THANK YOU (Hope I don't clog your email system, only a few photos attached, will put the rest on Facebook, look me up!!
Nina

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