Pupil starts charity initiative with teddy bears
BRYANSTON - A St Stithians College pupil from Bryanston focused her energy from a frustrating situation and redirected it to finding a way to give back to other children.
Catherine Phillips started a charity drive over the Easter holidays encouraging her friends to donate a pre-loved teddy or furry friend, and a chocolate egg with a little message to send to sick children at a government hospital. “All her friends were so supportive of the initiative and started doing teddy bear spas to wash and clean their pre-loved bears,” said Christine, Phillips’ mother.
At school, Phillips is an avid hockey player and swimmer who was unfortunately involved in an accident that required her to stay off her feet, and away from playing hockey and swimming. Christine said Phillips was frustrated with her condition. “She is a talented sportswomen who trains two to three hours a day and not doing anything was particularly hard for her,” she explained. “She is an outdoors girl who has always been active.”
Having to be inactive for weeks made Phillips extremely agitated until she and her mother came up with the charity project which made her happy. She decided to get some of her friends to help her focus her energy on helping other children who are in a worse off position than her.
“They all wrapped the teddy bears up and dropped them off with lovely get-well cards attached,” explained Christine. She added that they collected a total of 180 teddy bears and Easter eggs from all her school friends and from pupils of Redhill School.
“She is a blessed girl to have so many children support her project and make the effort for her,” added Christine.
Tell us on our Sandton Chronicle Facebook page what charity initiatives you are involved in.
