The funds that were raised on Tuesday night’s star-studded occasion are directed towards HospiceWits’ daily expenses and operational costs.
The annual HospiceWits ‘Night with the Stars’ (NWTS)’, fashion extravanganza took place via social media on Tuesday, July 28. Held annually to raise funds for the HospiceWits based in Johannesburg, this year’s event was labelled the ‘Lounge Edition’ in light of the lockdown brought on by covid-19.
More than 100 South African performers, artists, fashion designers, musicians, influencers, dancers, makeup artists and hairstylists took to their Instagram and Facebook pages to interact with their followers and ask for donations for HospiceWits. The digital edition of the fundraiser was supported by musician Graeme Watkins, actress Brümilda van Rensburg, fashion designer Gert-Johan Coetzee, radio DJ Pabi Moloi, singer, Lady Zamar and model Shashi Naidoo among others.
HospiceWits’ CEO, Jacqui Kaye, said that instead of cancelling the event altogether due to covid-19, she would rather “celebrate the last 6 years of the fashion extravaganza”.
Actor Khotso Rammopo, who plays Tabello in the South African soap opera, Muvhango, was one of the stars who participated in the event.
Rammopo tells Wits Vuvuzela that in previous years the fundraising event involved a celebrity-centred fashion show inclusive of a red carpet and runway. However, due to the current circumstances, the show had to be adapted.
“I decided to do my own smaller fashion show and got a couple of my influential friends involved. The celebrities that were got dressed by at least two designers and we went live on Instagram and tried to get our followers to donate to HospiceWits via the links,” Rammopo said.
Rammopo said that his involvement in the event was to bring attention to two important groups of people whose struggle is exacerbated due to the global pandemic, “I wanted to highlight the plight of people who are needy and less privileged than us and also the plight of entertainers and the entertainment industry that has suffered due to the lack of work during the covid-19 pandemic.”
According to Kaye, the fundraiser was a huge success, jokingly pointing out that HospiceWits “owned Instagram for four hours on Tuesday night”.
The funds that were raised on Tuesday night’s star-studded occasion are “directed towards HospiceWits’ daily expenses and operational costs to ensure patients and their families get the emotional, spiritual and psychological support they need”, according to the organisation’s Instagram page. The organisers were unable to confirm the total amount raised.
HospiceWits is a non-profit organisation that provides home-based and in-patient care to persons diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Information on how to donate towards HospiceWits’ NPO services and their fundraising events can be found on their website.
FEATURED IMAGE: One of the HospiceWits branches is situated in Houghton, Johannesburg. Photo: Emma O’Connor.
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