By Adam Wakefield
This is the second time the Vodacom Bulls and CANSA will be working together against the scourge of cancer, having put on a similar campaign in 2012.
“We take this very, very personally,” says Shanil Mangaroo, communications manager at the Blue Bulls Company. “I sent a message out to the team, asking, ‘Guys, how many lives have been affected by cancer?’. I think there were 17 guys out of 30-odd people in our group who had been affected by cancer. We’d be silly not to get involved again."
Lucy Balona, head of communications and marketing at CANSA, concurred with Mangaroo, noting cancer is a disease that does not discriminate and affects everyone.
“It doesn’t matter what age group, it doesn’t matter who you are, or what culture you are,” Balona says.
In 2012, R501 000 was raised from the campaign, with a similar target aimed for this year. Balona says CANSA aims to purchase another mobile health clinic, which cost approximately R500 000 and have daily running costs of R4500, with the campaign’s proceeds.
“We’ve got nine of them in the country. We go out, especially to remote, under-resourced areas, and offer screening. We do Pap smears to help with cervical cancer screening, and clinical breast examinations for women,” Balona says.
“We teach people how to do self-breast examinations, because breast cancer is the leading cancer for women, followed by cervical cancer. We also offer Prostate Specific Antigen - PSA - tests for men and overall healthy lifestyle risk assessments and cancer education. Often those we come across have not been exposed to the right information and we can help with early detection programmes.”
When it comes to wearing pink kit, the Vodacom Bulls are past masters. In 2012, the Vodacom Bulls’ away kit for the Super Rugby season was pink. It proved to be the top selling replica franchise jersey in South Africa and built a natural bridge to working with CANSA.
“In 76 years of Blue Bulls rugby, the pink shirt is the biggest selling shirt we’ve ever had,” Mangaroo says.
This year, the 23 jerseys being worn by the match-day squad will be the only ones manufactured. Each player will sign the jersey they wear, with an online auction already under-way on
bidorbuy.co.za. The proceeds of the auction will go towards the new mobile clinic, as will the other fund raising channels.
These include an SMS line run by Vodacom, online donations through the
getyourpinkon.co.za website and a R20 000 sponsorship package offered by the Blue Bulls Company to their partners on match day. Both Vodacom and
bidorbuy.co.za have waivered all costs for the campaign.
On game day, CANSA will have one of their mobile health clinics present, as well as Sprayathon stations offering to spray heads pink, pink CANSA wraps (bandanas) for sale and the sale of specially-created Relate bracelets, made by a group of women as part of a sustainable community initiative who would also receive part of the proceeds.
“I think it’s going to be a great experience. This is not normal rugby. This is going to be rugby for a cause. Come and do your bit, get out there and show your support. Everyone gets affected by cancer and this is a way you can help,” Balona says.
Mangaroo says game day will not only be about rugby, with what happens on the field part of a larger initiative.
“We are putting everything behind the cause. There is no line between being a Toyota Cheetahs fan or a Vodacom Bulls fan on the day. The Toyota Cheetahs are backing it. They will be asking their fans to donate as well. That’s the beauty of it,” he says.