This week is Hospice week in South Africa. In celebration this year, we will be paying tribute to some of our more unique donors. Some of the smaller, quirkier donors who support us in their own special way. We will add to this post every day for this week with a new story of a beautiful donor.
Each will be loaded below daily so you can share the page with friends and family to read about the special way our donors support us in Hospice Week 2024.
For most visitors to the Highway Hospice, our fish tank is a stand-out feature in the reception area. Quietly bubbling away and delivering peaceful distraction for visitors. For many years, this tank was lovingly cared for by our own Sr. Jean , who has retired in Scotland. We now have a special donor “Fish Fanatics” who provide the same care for our tank. They carefully manage the water quality and ensure the pumps and aerators are all in ship-shape condition. Shout out to this special donor in Hospice Week 2024 for making a difference!
A few times a year, a very softly spoken gentleman comes into reception asking for a trolley to carry goods. Between 80-100kg of rice is then carried up from his car for our patients. We never know when he is going to arrive, but he does, and has done for years. He has the broadest of smiles, and one can feel his enjoyment in delivering such a humble food stuff for our poorest patients. A true, quiet and simple donor who makes a massive difference in a small and special way. We celebrate donors like him in making Hospice Week special to us in 2024.
Of cause we never really know what inspires people to donate. We also don’t know when they will donate, and these are all personal and unique to each individual. We have one seemingly random donor as to when he donates, and how much he donates. He uses our website’s online payment facility and will donate R25 every now and then. Sometimes even on the same day. Then nothing for a few months, and then a R100, then some R25’s and a R75 a few weeks later. Essentially we don’t know what is happening, what the motivation is and why the strange timelines. We have resisted the temptation to ask and play with a few theories of our own. Perhaps the donations are a penance, a motivation, or a prayer. Maybe when something lucky happens he donates. Who knows, he may donate when he thinks of a loved one lost to him. Whatever it is, this is another special and unique donor worth mentioning in this series.
An association of senior golfers raise funds throughout the year, and support our 2000 Club with funds raised. They have done this for so many years that they have a large number of clubs in their name. Apart from raising funds, they also donate any of their “winnings” from the 2000 Club back to the club in the form of memberships. This has been to the value of R20,000 fairly often, which equates to 33 club memberships for a year @ only R600 each, or R50 a month. Anyone can join the club for as little as R50 a month, and stand the chance to win up to R20,000 every month. What makes this donor special and unique, is their support is not for their own gain, but to increase and leverage their support of our work. A huge thank you to this special group of people!
It is not that strange or unusual for a couple to get married and to ask for donations in place of gifts. We also have many people suggest the same for birthdays, and these are always special donations. In this case Dominique’s late father Simon was cared for by the Highway Hospice team. What is strange, unique and quirky in this case is that the couple shared the Webb surname before they were married (not related). Even more uncanny is that both mothers-in-law are Linda Webb. Thanks, and best wishes to the couple and the guests who donated to support our work!
There you have it, a few of our more strange supporters for Hospice Week. Let’s hope you are inspired to become one of our special donors in whatever way you would like to be unique. Naturally we value all and every donation, irrespective of size and frequency. The human being is wired to give to others, and this is evident in the feeling one gets when supporting another person.
