Afundraising banquet to be held at Tummiluv in Green Point on Friday 30 June hopes to bring in R100 000 for the SA Guide Dogs Association for the Blind.
Owned and run by celebrity chef Jenny Morris, Tummiluv will treat guests to a three-course meal at R650 a seat.
The evening event will include a guest speaker, live entertainment, an auction and a raffle.
The initiative, organised by Lions Club District Governor Charlie Flanagan of District 410W, in collaboration with Morris, forms part of the 70 Days of Giving campaign which celebrates the association’s 70th birthday.
If all goes to plan, the banquet will contribute 1/7 towards the campaign’s aim: raising R700 000 in 70 days.
District 410W consists of 57 Lions Clubs from Namibia, Northern Cape, down the West Coast, Western Cape, and through to George Eden in the Garden Route.
Jules Flanagan, a Lions Club Tokai member, says sight has been one of Lions Clubs International pillars for almost a century.
“In 1925, Helen Keller addressed the Lions Clubs International Convention in Cedar Point, Ohio, and challenged Lions to become ‘knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness’. Since then, we have worked tirelessly to aid the blind and visually impaired. We have been collaborating with SA Guide Dogs Association throughout the years and have sponsored many puppies and guide dogs.”
Flanagan says Morris, who is a good friend of both her and Charlie, committed a year ago to assist with a big fundraiser Lions might wish to hold.
“She was adamant she wanted to assist with making the event a success and raise as many funds as possible, hence (she provided) the venue free of charge, and the banquet (is) being charged at cost. She has also offered four raffle prizes of her cookbooks, plus a wonderful auction item of a celebrity dinner for 10 people at their home. She will be their private chef for the evening.”
Morris says, besides making people happy and filling their tummies, and making their mouths love them, the best part of the evening for her is going to be watching the auction, the raffle, and the money roll in.
“So that the Lions can achieve their target of R100 000 to give sight through the eyes of a dog to one very lucky person. Yes, the best part of the evening for me is to hear that we’ve hit the jackpot, we’ve got R100 000 and we have our dog,” says Morris.
Chris Venter, a professional motivational speaker and author, will be the guest speaker on the evening. Flanagan shares that Venter specialises in sharing stories of sightless travel and adventure.
“Chris is blind with his own guide dog and also has his own blog #BuildingBlind; he built his own house in Fisherhaven.”
Tickets for the raffle, which has over R40 000 in prizes, are currently being sold and winners will be drawn on the night.
On auction will be a bronze statue of Just Nuisance, donated by Jean Doyle Bronzes, Morris’s private chef item, a corporate wellness workshop for 10 people, and a beautiful painting of a wild dog.
Flanagan says – with table sales and pre-sold raffle tickets as of Friday last week – they will start the evening with just over 50% of the R100 000 needed.
“Our target is R100 000, which is what is needed to fully sponsor a guide dog from a puppy, through training, vet bills, feeding, right the way through to the point of getting their new visually impaired owner.”
Guide dogs in training will also attend the event, giving guests the opportunity to meet them.
All the dogs will be available for photographs with the guests for a donation of R50.
The event starts at 18:30.
A table of 10 and a table of eight can be booked at a special rate of R6 000 and R5 000, respectively.
- For bookings, call Flanagan on 084 060 6155 or email jules@flanagan.co.za
