Participants of the golf day arranged by DSC Attorneys helped raise R 220 000 for the Woodside Special Care Centre.
Since 2013, DSC Attorneys has been sponsoring an annual golf day to raise funds for the Woodside Special Care Centre, a residential home for profoundly disabled persons. The money raised through the annual golf day ensures ongoing care of the disabled children at the centre. The centre is a residential home in Rondebosch East, Cape Town. It provides specialised care for persons who live with more than one disability, including intellectual and physical disabilities.
This year the event raised R 220 000 – its biggest collection yet.
DSC Attorneys hosted the golf day at the Kuils River Golf Club in November 2018 and all the funds raised were donated to the centre. The money raised through the event has steadily increased over the years from R 70 000 being raised in 2013 with the first golf day.
Office manager at DSC Attorneys, Michéle de Jager, said the support that this year’s golf day garnered was both overwhelming and heart-warming. ‘We first thought we had surpassed our target of R 200 000 by raising R 215 000 this year, but then people were so inspired by Woodside’s work that we had a few last-minute donations come in. This pushed the final amount we collected to R 220 000,’ she said.
The remaining funds were raised through entry fees, raffles, money collected through smaller competitions and an auction on the day – where the items on auction were sponsored by the law firm.
DSC Attorneys also sponsored a four-ball team made up of the centre’s board of trustees.
Marketing Manager of the centre, Clive Obery said: ‘We would not be able to do what we do without people like the team from DSC Attorneys. They have been instrumental in making the lives of Woodside Special Care residents better.’ Mr Obery added that the funds donated by DSC Attorneys are utilised for the centre’s ‘Wards of the Court Programme’.
The programme looks after children between the ages of six and 12 years who have been placed in the centre’s care by the state. Many of the children in the programme have three to four disabilities and are unable to bath, dress or feed themselves. ‘Their families do not have the facilities, skills and training to provide them with the constant specialised care they need,’ Mr Obery said. It costs the centre approximately R 11 000 per month to care for one of the 25 children in the Wards of the Court Programme.
The centre employs 122 staff and houses a total of 80 residents, some of whom have been living there for over 40 years. ‘We have about ten residents who have been here since the age of two and are now in their late 40s and early 50s. They end up staying here because there is nowhere else for them to go,’ Mr Obery said.
When DSC Attorneys first hosted the golf day in 2013 at the Bellville Golf Club, 24 four-ball entrants took part. Since then, it has grown to accommodate a full field of 34 teams, including business partners of the law firm and private individuals, many of whom have made the competition an annual tradition.
After the day of golf, the teams enjoyed a gala dinner where prizes were awarded to the top 19 teams. This year the winning four-ball was the team from Groote Post Wine Estate in Darling.
Anyone who would like more information or would like to make a contribution to the centre can contact Mr Obery at (021) 696 2811 or e-mail: marketing@woodside.org.za or visit www.woodside.org.za.
Kaya Skye, kaya@gnuworld.co.za
