The
question was asked “Why only celebrate the gift of Christmas giving in
December? We should be celebrating it all year round”. So Christmas in July was first held in the
church hall on Friday the 20th July 2001 and raised a great amount for the
Rosebank Homeless Association. The date is always set over the weekend closest
to the 25th of July. The number of miracle makers attending our Christmas
Miracle in the middle of the year, black tie dinner dance with auction and
raffle has grown from 80 people to on average 320 people (one year we had 430
guests attend). The Indaba Hotel in Fourways has been our venue of choice for
over 10 years where Rent a Candle in Fourways has performed their magic of making
Christmas come alive, Fex Entertainment has ensured that the celebration is
awesome, Meridian Wine has spoilt us with wine for all our miracle makers to
enjoy on the night and Park Village Auctioneers host the auctions of the prizes
which our fabulous hospitality industry and other miracle makers enable us to
offer.
To
date over the last 20 years plenty has been raised by our Christmas in
July’s miracle makers for the beneficiaries. Some of our beneficiaries over the
years have been Autism South Africa, Avril Elizabeth Home, Bertrams Junior School,
Big Shoes, Compassionate Friends, Deansgate Old Age Home, Drought Relief
Northern Cape families living with HIV and Aids, Emdeni Welile Community
Project, Family Worship Centre Hospice, 4 Paws, Friends
of the Ballet, Friends for Life, Headway, Holy Cross Orlando Church, Khanyisweni(Place where the light shines) Children’s Home, Kingdom
Consultant Centre, Kya Kids Pre-Primary School, Mabvuku community
programme, Parys Helping Hands, Relebohile Day Care Centre, Rosebank Homeless Association Zinto Zinhle, Sandton SPCA, Save the Rhino’s, South African Guide Dog
Association, St Pauls Munsieville, St Martins Social Outreach Programmes, The
Teddy Bear Clinic, ukuPhula iKetanga Prison Ministry,
Vuleka Primary School plus the many others, wherever a helping hand is able to enable.
For
2020 and 2021 Covid-19 had other ideas and our lives have been turned upside
down in South Africa and the rest of the world. So, what did the pandemic
mean for CIJ. It meant we needed to find a different way for the miracle of
Christmas giving to happen twice a year. Otherwise our charities would be
hugely affected, and some might possibly have to close, which is what we wanted to
prevent. So CIJ went online with backabuddy and online auction.
Now for Christmas in July 2022 we are reconnecting, rebuilding and rejoicing so meeting in person for a celebration and online auction & online donation campaign - contact me for details jw@landandsea.co.za.