Glenrand M•I•B supports East Coast Radio's Toy Story 2010

Bruce Dixie, the KZN branch manager for Glenrand M•I•B says the choice of supporting Toy Story 2010 garnered exceptional support from the players. "We have in the past supported the Durban Botanical Garden and managed to raise R25 000 for them. This year the generous donations from our clients, insurance and industry service providers amounted to R19 060, which Glenrand M•I•B matched and rounded off to R40 000."

East Coast Radio's Toy Story is a massive annual collection drive that rallies the support of east coasters to get involved by giving toys and cash to bring some festive sparkle into the lives of children across the KZN province living a life affected by the deadly HIV/Aids pandemic. "The toys collected will be donated to children in government hospitals, crèches, orphanages and child-headed households throughout KwaZulu-Natal. Many children have been hospitalised for months, without any reprieve from their grim situations or a visit from a familiar face. For most, this toy will be the first brand new thing they have ever received," explains Trish Taylor, CEO of East Coast Radio.

"During the school terms, underprivileged children are given a meal at their school's soup kitchens and lunch clubs. Over the six long weeks during the December holidays, they don't receive any meals. All the money raised during Toy Story is used to buy food parcels that are distributed to child-headed households to help fill this critical gap," adds Trish. The food parcels, valued at R350 each, have been especially designed to sustain a family of between four and six for approximately five weeks. Food items such as maize provide the staple diet and pilchards, which are high in Omega 3 and recommended to HIV/Aids patients, are included in the parcels. For the first time Toy Story beneficiaries will also receive a seed pack filled with a mixture of vegetable seeds to grow and maintain veggie patches where they can harvest fresh home grown produce and turn these into sustainable meals.

Glenrand's Bruce Dixie adds: "Our Toy Story charity hole at Glenrand M•I•B's annual golf day is the most successful charity hole we have ever hosted. It is a heart wrenching initiative that is close to everyone's heart and is geared to do good in a time of desperate need. Putting food on the table for a child is perhaps the single most important contribution we could make and we would like to challenge other corporates to match us or better the contribution," concludes Bruce.