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27 May 2010 22h00

RUGBY FOR THE FANS! FOR THE COMMUNITY

The national Twitter Blanket Drive (#TBD) would like to encourage all rugby fans to donate blankets or warm clothes at Orlando Stadium at the Super 14 final game. This historic match at Orlando Stadium presents a fantastic opportunity for nation building. Rugby fans across the board can make a gesture of gratitude towards their Soweto-hosts by contributing to needy communities in Orlando and Doornkop. Both Victor Matfield and Bryan Habana have shown their support for this initiative via the Twitter online social network.

The #TBD collection point will be setup next to the beer tent before entering the stadium. Volunteers from D Hani Creche in Doornkop will be on hand to receive the donations. The collection point can be identified by the #TBD branding.

If 10% of the spectators donate a blanket or item of warm clothing we will collect a minimum of 4,000 items. Fans are asked to drop-off their contributions before the game from 11am, or after the game until 8pm.

Proceeds from the Orlando stadium collection will be handed to Nthabiseng Hlongwane, a respected community leader in Doornkop and founder of the D Hani Creche and feeding scheme. The creche houses a centre that cares for 130 children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years. Nthabiseng also runs a feeding scheme from the creche for 15 granny headed households where the parents have died and the grannies can’t get government grants because they can’t get ID documents. June is the "Month of the Child" and Nthabiseng's aim is to provide a blanket to every child in the broader Doornkop informal settlement. This is an ambitious goal and with winter setting in we can help her achieve it.

Those who will not be at the final game on Saturday can still contribute to the #TBD by attending any of the 8 countrywide events on Saturday, 29 May from 6pm, or by visiting retail dropoff points during office hours. Proceeds from the other collection points will all go toward worthy recipients like Kids Haven (Johannesburg), Passop (Cape Town), P.E.N. (Pretoria), Roundtable and Rotary.

For more information on the #TBD visit www.twitterblanketdrive.co.za

Melanie Minnaar
Twitter: @MelanieMinnaar
Email: melanie@twitterblanketdrive.co.za
Web: www.twitterblanketdrive.co.za