The Empty Shop initiative ends with a bang

The campaign ran for 19 days and saw high quality brand new and second-hand clothing donated to HospiceWits to assist with fundraising.

Joy Ruwodo, marketing manager for HospiceWits, expressed gratitude to the Empty Shop for the clothing donated.

“We at HospiceWits are over the moon because the record [initially] set was an ambitious target and we never imagined exceeding it,” she said.

Ruwodo also explained how the donated clothing would assist the organisation with fundraising efforts, saying it would be sold at the HospiceWits stores in Orange Grove and Parkmore.

“The money generated from the sale of these items will of course go towards taking care of patients with chronic illnesses, which is what our organisation focuses on,” she said.

Also present at the handover was Karabo Denalane, managing director at McCann Johannesburg, who highlighted the sense of pride and achievement the company felt about making a valuable contribution to the community and country.

He also explained the involvement with Sandton City, saying it was because of the mall’s status as a high-end mall.

“This unique collaboration saw, for the first time on African soil, the forces of fashion and community coming together for good.”

“The giving doesn’t stop here, we at McCann will continue contributing to good causes,” he said.

The Empty Shop is an award-winning global campaign that has created a unique way of donating clothing.

It was pioneered last year at the Villalobos Mall, São Paulo, Brazil and was officially launched in South Africa at Sandton City on 28 October, as a collaboration between Sandton City and McCann Johannesburg.

The official handover to HospiceWits took place on 18 November in Parkmore.

Filler: To view more photos from the event, visit www.sandtonchronicle.co.za