Kerry-Anne Allerston
Image: Supplied
Every year I start seeing the slipper stickers out and about, and then I get my invite to the Reach For A Dream Slipper Day launch. It’s one of my favourite days of the year because it’s wildly inspiring, and they usually have dream recipients telling their own stories at the event. It’s bizarre that young people who have gone through, and are still going through the most can be as happy, grateful and inspiring as they are.
People are strong. Kids are brave. And the dream makers, whose hearts get broken daily, still wake up and show up every day to make dreams come true. Isn’t that everything?
Hope is the one thing that is sometimes so hard to have when things are crumbling around you, but it’s also often the thing that keeps you going and keeps you living. And the dreams are the things that keep hope alive, soften the hard times and cushion the blows a little. It’s hope, kindness and love that are the ingredients in the recipe to keep you fighting.
When you feel alone, unseen and tired, it’s hard to stay positive and to keep that light inside burning, so when dreams are fulfilled, it’s more than meeting that famous sports star, getting your first cellphone or sitting in the cockpit of an aeroplane. You are being seen and you are being loved, and those are the magical ingredients to fighting that little bit harder each day.
That’s why Slipper Day always feels so special. On May 29, South Africans once again come together in the cosiest way possible to support children facing serious and life threatening illnesses, with the aim of raising R15 million to continue making dreams come true.
Since 2011, this beautiful campaign has united people across the country, and over the years Reach For A Dream has fulfilled close to 30 000 dreams since 1988. It’s something that goes far beyond a single moment because every dream creates a ripple effect, touching families, doctors and entire communities, bringing light into spaces that need it most.
Each day, an average of seven dreams are fulfilled, from meeting heroes to stepping into dream careers, offering something meaningful to hold onto during incredibly difficult journeys. Stories like that of Zinokhanyo Nyangule, who has faced cancer three times and recently saw her dream of being on television come true, are powerful reminders that dreaming matters and that these moments stay with you long after they happen.
There’s something incredibly moving about hearing these stories in person, because you realise just how much strength lives in these young people and how much care surrounds them.
This year there’s also a little extra excitement woven into the campaign. By buying a Slipper Day sticker, scanning the barcode and getting involved, you could win a share of R2 million in prizes, from treats and movie tickets to shopping vouchers and more. Stickers are available until May 29 at various retailers.
Whether or not slippers really boost your mood or productivity, one thing is certain, every sticker purchased helps bring a dream to life. So on May 29, slip into something cosy, show your support and do it for the dreamers, because every dream carries a little more strength, a little more light and a reason to keep going.