CASUAL DAY

Casual about dress code, serious about disability. This is the message from the organisers of Casual Day, a fundraising project where people are encouraged to go to work dressed differently for a day.

Casual Day is South Africa's foremost event of this nature and raises more than just money — it raises awareness about persons with disabilities, opportunities for corporate comradeship, community support and welfare organisation participation.

“The roaring 60’s were famous for dances like the twist and the funky chicken,” say the Casual Day organisers. “We saw the mania of the “Fab Four” and frenzy that was “Beatlemania” and we remember fondly as nearly half a million people headed over to New York for the Woodstock Festival. The feel, the fads and the fashion of the seventies has us recalling when music came on vinyl records and eight-track tapes, when discos were the rage and when we knew what “groovy” meant. In the 80’s, our wardrobe and make-up collection was cerise pink, electric blue and banana yellow and our best party dress was a puff-ball skirt. Guys stepped out in thin black ties, usually patterned like a piano. We loved big hair styles, karaoke and knew all the words to Madonna’s Material Girl.

“But the nostalgia is soon overtaken by the 90’s when we reminisce about music that sounded more like a construction site than a musical genre. If you were listening to ‘garage’ and ‘house’ you were cool and well-prepared to slide into ‘Emo’, ‘post-grunge’ and ‘pop punk’. Some of us were lost along the way and were still hopeful that we might someday be able to get the Moondance right!”

Whether you’re still trying to fit into your leather pants, can only sing in the shower or really entertaining thoughts of giving Idols a go, Casual Day provides an opportunity to dress like a rock star, without any fear of embarrassment.

September 2 is Casual Day and the public is encouraged to show their support for persons with disabilities by dressing like a rock star. To earn this right, they make a donation of R10 for the official Casual Day sticker. Proceeds benefit persons with disabilities. Worn to be wild, the official Casual Day sticker is your ticket to showing the world, and your colleagues, just how groovy you can be.

Get inspiration from favourite bands – every era had their icons – from rock-n-roll to soul – from hippie to hip hop – from punk to Pavarotti or hard rock to reggae, we’ve loved them all. You might even have some platform shoes, bellbottoms or leather pants in the attic! Dust them off and strut your stuff in support of the rights of persons with disabilities this Casual Day. Remember, you are only a REAL rock star on Casual Day if you are wearing the official Casual Day sticker.

Still only R10, the sticker can be obtained from Absa, Game, Dion Wired, Edgars, Jet, CNA or from one of the Casual Day participating NGOs or directly from the Casual Day national office.

Casual Day 2011 will take place on September 2, 2011. For more information contact 012 663 8181. fax 012 663 8188 or e-mail: casualday@mweb.co.za or visit www.casualday.co.za