JULIE Alexander and her team have staged and administered the Tellytrack Christmas Tree for ten years and as a result of their hard work children at homes like St Laurence’s Haven, Abraham Kriel and BB Ministries have always enjoyed a little extra in the period – good mattresses to sleep on, television sets that work, goods fridges that stock food, kettles to boil hot water for coffee, and more.

Julie tells of last Saturday’s charity function at Turffontein: “We raised R500,000 this year, up from around R200,000 last year and a record for us, very pleasing and allowing us to do so much more for these children. We don’t hand over the cash, we receive a wish list from each home, listing the things they need, which are mostly furniture, appliances and so on. We consult with them, allocate proportionally and then we negotiate with major retailers like Game to get discounts on bulk buys so that we can buy even more. With the left-over funds, I normally buy some toiletries in bulk and distribute them this is also something always in need.

“Over the past three years the rest of the proceeds have been used to provide bursaries for some children to further their education. Phumelela is to start an internship programme for the recipients of these bursaries who have completed their studies in order to assist them with getting work experience.”