Wearing slippers to work or school not only brings comfort to the soles but it brings a heartwarming comfort to the soul too, knowing it’s all in aid of supporting sickly children’s dreams.
South Africa (28 April 2024) – It’s that time of year again, when you can ditch the painful high heels, kick off the lace up leather shoes and slip on your best pair of slippers before stepping into your meetings for the day. Yes, that’s right, Slipper Day 2024 is happening and it’s set to be a life-changing day for children with life-threatening illnesses.
The annual Reach For A Dream fundraiser, returns on 31 May 2024, promising a day filled with warmth, generosity, and fun.
Since its inauguration in 2011, Slipper Day has become a nationwide movement where everyone from office workers to school children band together to make dreams come true for children with critical diseases like cancer, renal failure, and heart conditions, simply by buying a R20 sticker and wearing it with their slippers on the day.
This year’s theme, “Step into My Slippers”, focuses on empathy, fun, and stepping into the shoes (or rather, slippers) of these brave children. This simple act demonstrates solidarity and support for these children, who often spend their days in slippers due to their health conditions.
“Our children face unimaginable struggles each day in the hospital. Their courage and resilience are awe-inspiring,” says Julia Sotirianakos, CEO of Reach For A Dream. “This year, we’re calling on everyone to buy a sticker and step into their slippers on Slipper Day. By trading your shoes for slippers, you’re stepping into these youngsters’ world, showing them that they are not alone in this fight.”
All funds raised from Slipper Day go to the Reach For A Dream Foundation, a non-profit organisation that makes dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses. Since its inception in 1988, the Foundation has turned more than 27,670 dreams into reality. These dreams—ranging from meeting personal heroes to experiencing new things for the first time—provide the children with a temporary escape from their illness and a much-needed distraction from often painful medical treatments. Most importantly, fulfilled dreams inspire hope, giving these children a reason to believe that tomorrow is worth fighting for.
Where to get your sticker?
Stickers cost R20 each and can be purchased from:
- Wimpy,
- Pick n Pay,
- Dis-Chem Pharmacies,
- Dis-Chem Baby City,
- Toys R Us,
- Babies R Us,
- Krispy Kreme
- and HushPuppies.co.za.
Those who want to buy their stickers and a pair of funky slippers or socks online can click through to the Reach For A Dream website (www.reachforadream.org.za). It is now also possible for people to pay for their virtual Slipper Day stickers, by simply scanning a Zapper QR code.
And don’t forget, if you wear your sticker and slippers to Wimpy on 31 May, you can get a free Famous Coffee (or hot chocolate for children under 12).
by 