We headed out to The Sands in Sandton early in November where Netflorist hosted a very special birthday party for all the children of The Johannesburg Children's Home. On arrival, the heavens opened up & we had quite a storm.
A bit of background info. NetFlorist & The JCH started their relationship on Mandela Day this year, where they had set out to make 670 sandwiches in 67 minutes. The 670 sandwiches were dropped off at a variety of children's homes throughout Johannesburg. 200 of these sandwiches went straight to The JCH. It was at this point where the MD of the home, Annette Brokensha, was met & this was the creation of a connection & bond that neither have been able to let go of.
So, you all probably know what it is like to have a birthday party with cake, sweets, cold-drinks & presents right? The flutter of butterflies you get when you start opening gifts. Now just imagine being 13 years old & never before having been blessed to have that happen to you? It is the small things in life that we really do take for granted. This is one good reason why it truly is better to give than to receive.
So besides the gifts, what is the next best thing at a birthday party? Yes. The cake. (Well for some of us, the cake is an extra present to that you can devour & stuff your face with, without feeling guilty since it is your birthday.) Unfortunately, the children at The JCH have been some of those people in the world that have not been able to experience & privilege of blowing out candles on a birthday cake, that has been made just for them, whilst a group of friends surround them singing along to the tunes of "Happy Birthday."
With all of this in mind, NetFlorist went out & has asked The JCH for the home's birthday list. And so, since August 2016, every child at The JCH now receives a personalised gift on their birthday buy one of the dedicated NetFlorist drivers. So this is not the 'usual' hamper that you can order on the NetFlorist website. This is rather a personalised package that is filled with stationery, deodrant, socks, books, crayons, toys, clothing & a something special that that child would specifically love. Not only do they get a gift. The NetFlorist team has now ensured that each child at The JCH will be getting a cake on their birthday too.
The exclusive invited guests were given the opportunity to sponsor a birthday cake from the NetFlorist bakery to a child at The JCH on their special day. Another added bonus for some would be actually be going out with the NetFlorist team & hand deliver the cake & gift & sing "Happy Birthday" to their chosen child. This would honestly be a moment that will be with you forever. 24 cakes were sponsored at the event. And there are a few more children who can still be sponsored.
So we also had a bit of fun at the event & got to prepare our very own red rose bouquet with the assistance of the master Florist at NetFlorist. It was great fun & some people got rather creative with their arrangements.
And who doesn't love cake?
