Footprints 4 Sam brought communities together for #HatsOn4CPC 2026, helping raise awareness of the importance of children’s palliative care.
South Africa (02 November 2026) – Earlier this month, businesses, community groups and healthcare professionals across South Africa did just that, adding a little colour to their working day as they joined the annual #HatsOn4CPC campaign in support of children’s palliative care.
Led internationally by the International Children’s Palliative Care Network (ICPCN), the campaign takes place every year on the second Friday of October. Its message is an important one: children living with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses deserve access to compassionate care, dignity and support, while their families deserve to know they are not alone.
In South Africa, the campaign is supported by non-profit trust Footprints 4 Sam, which has spent several years helping bring greater awareness to the needs of these children and their families.
This year’s campaign saw corporates, small community businesses and healthcare professionals at Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital joining in, swapping their everyday workday looks for favourite hats and helping turn an ordinary day into an opportunity for something meaningful.
And behind all the colourful hats is a reality that deserves far more attention.
According to PatchSA estimates shared by Footprints 4 Sam, between 800,000 and one million children in South Africa are living with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Yet access to essential palliative care services remains limited, leaving many children and their families without the support they need.
Paediatric palliative care is about so much more than medical treatment. It focuses on improving a child’s quality of life by helping manage pain and other symptoms, offering emotional and practical support, and recognising the needs of the entire family.
For Melissa Williams-Platt, Sam’s mom and co-founder of Footprints 4 Sam, raising awareness is an important first step towards making that support more accessible.
“The need for greater awareness and access to care is significant,” she explains.
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“Campaigns like #HatsOn4CPC give us an opportunity to bring more people into this important conversation. Raising awareness doesn’t always have to be complicated. Sometimes it can simply be a hat, a sticker or a conversation that encourages someone to find out more.”
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Sun City’s Kasi Ride Brings 8,000 South Africans Together for GoodSupporters could also purchase specially created #HatsOn4CPC stickers for R25, with proceeds going towards Footprints 4 Sam’s work throughout the year.
Through its six key initiatives, the trust provides practical support to families, assists with transport to essential medical appointments, helps improve hospital environments for children and caregivers, and advocates for more compassionate, human-centred care.
It’s a reminder that meaningful change doesn’t always begin with grand gestures. Sometimes it starts with people choosing to get involved, businesses making space for a good cause, or healthcare professionals taking a moment to help spread an important message.
With the 2026 campaign wrapped up, Footprints 4 Sam is already encouraging more corporates, small businesses, schools and community groups to get involved in #HatsOn4CPC 2027.
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