CARTE BLANCHE RAISES OVER R50M

M-Net’s flagship weekly news and actuality programme raises over R50 million for charity.

M-Net’s flagship weekly news and actuality programme - Carte Blanche has announced that over R55 million (R55, 506,172.14 to be exact), has been raised for its “Making a Difference” campaign. This marks the most amount of money to be raised by a television show for charity!

To celebrate 20 years of broadcasting Carte Blanche took a bold decision to celebrate with a difference.

The “Making a Difference” campaign was launched in August and set itself the ambitious target of raising R20 million for charity. “My dream is to reach R20 million - a million for each year we've been on air”, said Executive Producer George Mazarakis.

Carte Blanche approached several major state hospitals - including King Edward VIII in Durban - and invited them to become part of the “CB20” campaign. A series of programme inserts highlighted the dire needs of paediatric units in these institutions: Johannesburg Hospital, (now Charlotte Maxeke) Pretoria (Steve Biko) and Bloemfontein Academic Hospitals, King Edward VIII and Chris Hani Baragwanath. Two charities were also included: The Johannesburg Child Welfare Society and the Johannesburg Parent & Child Counselling Centre.

Sleepless nights over how to achieve a R20 million target were soon dispelled as South African companies, schools and Carte Blanche viewers lent overwhelming support to “CB20.”

R20 million became R30 million, then R40 million and, to date, that figure stands at over R55 million. A large slice was donated by mining giant BHP Billiton, which has undertaken to demolish the current paediatric unit at King Edward VIII and replace it with a brand new building.

In announcing BHP Billiton‘s R25 million donation, which includes R5 million for equipment at Kimberley Hospital, SA Chairman Xolani Mkhwanazi said: “The fact that your campaign focused on children touched us ... it’s an exciting project that fits perfectly with our values”.

Other generous donors include over R7 million from the Industrial Development Corporation, R2.5 million from Discovery Health and R2 million from MTN.

Hospitals and charities that stand to benefit are over-whelmed: Prof Andre Venter/Bloemfontein Academic said: “I have been fundraising for ten years and I’ve never experienced such generosity from well-wishers. Carte Blanche can be very proud. This is bigger than we ever imagined when discussions started so many months ago.”

Dr Kimesh Naidoo from King Edward VIII said. “This is advocacy for new-borns as King Edward is a dismal hospital with leaking gutters and cockroaches everywhere. We are thrilled with the response ... it’s a milestone for babies.”

Jacqui Michael/JCWelfare said: “We just don’t know how to say thank you for all the kindness and support and to Carte Blanche for including us in this wonderful initiative. May God bless you in all the work you do”.

The CB20 campaign is being administered by a Trust, set up by Webber Wentzel, and Carte Blanche will carry regular updates on the upgrading of facilities at the hospitals. Carte Blanche aims to continue raising funds in 2009.