Latest news with #KFM
News24
21 hours ago
- Health
- News24
Charity is not a privilege, it's an obligation at LottoStar
At LottoStar, they go beyond life-changing wins after betting on sports games – they believe in making a real difference. Their greatest victories are the ones that uplift lives, restore dignity and ignite hope across their communities. With LottoStar's purpose-driven campaigns and heartfelt initiatives, they've been able to uplift communities and support vital causes across the country. Whether in partnership with leading radio stations or through their dedicated foundation, The Star Foundation, every effort reflects their mission to make a difference. Here's how your support helped them bring that mission to life over the past three months: Save7 – when one life ends, seven more begin Through the Money Madness competition with KFM, LottoStar bettors helped raise R1 067 500 for Save7, an organisation that is redefining the landscape of organ donation in South Africa. Save7 doesn't just raise awareness – it transforms it into action. Through innovative initiatives like the Time Capsule, a voice note that allows individuals to leave heartfelt messages for their loved ones about their wishes to be donors, Save7 humanizes the donor journey and gives families peace of mind. The funds raised went towards the LifePod, a dedicated ICU designed for organ donors. This specialised unit provides essential care in the final moments, ensuring that one life can go on to save up to seven others. Because of you, more lives will be saved, more and more futures restored. Good Morning Angels – from compassion to cure During LottoStar's Fortune Frenzy competition with Jacaranda FM, their bettors helped raise R1 024 000 for Good Morning Angels, a Jacaranda FM initiative that has long been a lifeline for South Africans in crisis. From individuals facing hardship to families navigating trauma and communities in need of urgent help, Good Morning Angels has been a consistent source of relief and resilience. R697 000 of the money raised enabled the purchase of a cutting-edge laser treatment machine for the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital, offering care to young burn victims. The remaining funds are being channeled into ongoing projects supported by Good Morning Angels, continuing the cycle of care and compassion across the nation. These stories aren't just about aid. They're about recovery, dignity, and renewed hope. Groote Schuur hospital – emergency care without delay One of the most urgent needs facing public hospitals in South Africa is access to emergency surgical care. In response, LottoStar donated R1,8 million to Groote Schuur Hospital's Emergency Fund for Emergency Surgery (EFES). This project addresses the hospital's overburdened emergency surgery schedule. Many patients admitted are victims of violence, severe trauma, or road accidents. Although the hospital is deeply committed to providing urgent care, resource constraints often cause delays – delays that can cost lives. Through LottoStar's donation, Groote Schuur will be able to run 70 additional emergency theatre lists over the next 12 months, with a focus on peak periods such as weekends and public holidays when trauma admissions surge. The Star Foundation – built on the belief that they rise by lifting others At the heart of all their initiatives lies The Star Foundation, LottoStar's dedicated platform for social impact. It's through this foundation that they identify urgent needs, partner with purpose-led organisations and drive measurable change across South Africa. From healthcare and education to food security and emergency relief, The Star Foundation is guided by one principle: when they uplift others, they uplift the nation. None of this would be possible without the support of those who bet on their site. To their partners, bettors, and communities: thank you for believing in the power of purpose. Thank you for helping them turn bets into giving and winnings into something far more meaningful. LottoStar – charity is a privilege, not an obligation.
Eyewitness News
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
BT Football Academy group stuck in Portugal set to return to CT by Sunday
CAPE TOWN - A group of 28 children from the BT Football Academy and their coaches who have been stuck in Lisbon, Portugal, are set to be back in Cape Town by the end of this week, thanks to the generosity of South Africans. They were in Spain earlier in July, taking part in an international football tournament. But on the day that they were meant to return to South Africa, they discovered they had no flights booked. ALSO READ: 'Phenomenal' South Africans band together to bring stranded football group back home Thanks to the Tracey Lange Cares Initiative, which spearheaded calls for donations, enough funds were raised to bring them home. They left for Spain on 6 July and spent a week in St Sebastian for the Donosti Cup. But when it was time to leave on 14 July, they found out they had no flights confirmed to get home. In an interview with KFM's Carl Wastie on Monday, BT Football Academy owner Brandon Timmy explained why return tickets were not secured: 'The issue that we had for our return tickets was that we had our application for our visa's processed quite late, so we only had appointments that we received from the application centre round about end of May.' The families of nine children managed to get their children and one of the coaches home this past Saturday. The remaining 25 children and three coaches have been stuck in Lisbon and reached out on social media for help. But because of an outpouring of donations, flights have been secured for the group to get home.
IOL News
22-07-2025
- IOL News
How a radio host, her husband, and a Facebook page admin banded together to bring stranded soccer stars home from Spain
A group of children from Cape Town saw their dream turn into a nightmare after being stranded in Spain following a soccer tour. Image: Supplied Thanks to the outpouring of help from South Africans, young aspiring soccer stars from the Cape Flats and three coaches who were left stranded in Spain are set to return home this week. The 25 children, aged between 13 and 18, participated in the Donosti Cup 2025 in San Sebastián, Spain. They are part of BT Football - a Cape Town-based academy. The team was set to return home on July 15, 2025. However, their return tickets were unavailable. According to the Cape Argus, no return tickets were booked. BT Football Academy owner Brandon Timmy requested that the group travel by bus to neighbouring Portugal, which would allow him to secure more affordable flights back to Cape Town Claims were further made that return tickets were never booked. After a nightmare ordeal, coaches in Lisbon reached out to parents and social media for assistance. They were stuck in a foreign country, with no food, accommodation, or flights to return home. But, the golden hearts of a local radio host, her husband, and an admin on a popular Facebook page made the impossible possible. KFM radio host Tracey Lange, her husband Avukile Mabombo, through the Tracey Lange Cares initiative, were the ones who immediately jumped into action when the news came out about the stranded children. Shantelle Engelbrecht, from Johannesburg, an admin of the popular Facebook page Coloured Girls Rock, also stepped in. KFM radio presenter and media personality Tracey Lange and her husband Avukile Mabombo made it their mission to bring back the stranded group from Spain. Image: Facebook/Tracey Lange Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Engelbrecht is known for assisting those in need and using social media to change the lives of those who need it most. The trio, who never met before, banded together with one goal in sight: bringing back the children and coaches. Lange and Engelbrecht kept social media users updated with their blow-by-blow posts on how far things are progressing. Their posts saw donations flood in from all over as normal South Africans dug deep in their pockets to give anything they could to assist with food, accommodation, and flight costs. Shantelle Engelbrecht, admin of the Coloured Girls Rock page ensured that this group would return home safely. Image: Supplied By Tuesday morning, it has been confirmed that the group will be returning home to South Africa on Wednesday and Thursday. 'We can confirm that we have managed to raise the funds to pay for all 28 flight tickets and with the assistance of TAAG have managed to secure seats on flights within the next few days. Everyone will be home by the end of the week. Thank you to everyone that has assisted in making this possible. I will be sharing more details at a later stage to also share a special thanks to everybody,' Lange said. Lange also confirmed that locals in Lisbon also reached out to assist the stranded group. Speaking to IOL, Engelbrecht said they had initially managed to book flights bit by bit, however, a travel agent, named Mel, had managed to get flight discounts from R28,000 to R18,500 per person. 'A group of kind people in Portugal, some South Africans, some friends and family of South Africans, and some absolute strangers are helping with food for the group on that side,' she said. The statement released by the football academy. Image: Supplied Engelbrecht said the donations from South Africans, albeit small amounts all contributed to the end goal. 'One lady walked to the ATM to deposit money. People sent proof of payments. It all eventually added up,' she said. The stranded coaches, who used money out of their own pockets, will also be receiving some assistance. Engelbrecht reached out to major retailer Pick n Pay to assist coaches who had to bear the brunt of feeding the group in Euros. 'When I spoke to Pick n Pay, just to say please when the coaches come back, can we sort them out with groceries since they used their own money to help with the children? I was an immediate yes,' she said. Now, knowing they will be home soon, the group will be shown around Portugal by locals who contacted the trio, stating they wanted to change their horrible experience and have them leave with great memories. 'They are hosting the team today, showing them the sites and letting them experience some of the lekker food Portugal is known for. Again, ordinary people. Those are the heroes,' Engelbrecht said. She said this was never about clout, but about pure humanity to those in distress. 'This is not about the shine. The thing for us was, let's just get these children home,' Engelbrecht said. In a statement released on Sunday, July 20, 2025, BT Football released a statement citing delayed visa appointments as the reason it failed to book return flights in time. "Prior to departure, all essential elements of the tour, including accommodation, food, tournament registration, and other logistical requirements, were paid and secured. Our team was excited and well-prepared to represent South Africa in the prestigious Donosti Cup. Unfortunately, our preparations were significantly impacted by delays in securing visa appointment slots. Despite our early attempts to begin the visa process, we were only granted appointments much later than planned. As a result, visas were received merely a week before the intended departure. This created immense pressure on our team to secure flights within an extremely short timeframe," the statement read. It further stated costs of return flights were unaffordable. "The cost of return flights so close to the departure date proved unaffordable. The boys and girls successfully participated in the Donosti Cup tournament. However, upon conclusion of the tournament, the return flight prices remained prohibitively high, and we were still unable to secure tickets home." They also claimed they were working around the clock to bring the group home. IOL
Eyewitness News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
'Phenomenal' South Africans band together to bring stranded football group back home
CAPE TOWN - There's been a massive drive to bring a group of stranded children back home to Cape Town. Thirty-four football players and four coaches from BT Football Academy were left stranded after taking part in an international tournament in Spain earlier in July. But when it was time to return home, the group discovered that their flights home were never booked. One group arrived back on Saturday, but 28 are now in Lisbon, Portugal. With the help of donations, 11 players and one coach will arrive in Cape Town on Wednesday evening. Money-raising initiatives such as the Tracey Lange Cares have been a huge help. KFM presenter, Tracey Lange, said that South Africans really came together to help bring them home. "The people of South Africa have been incredible, not just the ones here at home but also the ones abroad who have reached friends and family in Portugal to ask and go assist. It's been phenomenal, really amazing." Donation details can be found on the Primedia Plus website an APP.
Eyewitness News
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
Public donations help secure plane tickets to bring home some members of SA soccer team stranded in Portugal
CAPE TOWN - EWN can confirm that 12 tickets were secured for the South African soccer team still stranded in Portugal. Thanks to donations made possible by the public, R54,000 was raised. Twelve players, along with one coach, will touchdown on home soil Wednesday evening. KFM presenter, Tracey Lange, confirmed that 12 tickets had been secured. "Our desire is to make sure they all get home in one go. We don't want to take a while and prioritise anyone above the rest. We don't want anyone's kids to feel that they are more important than anyone else's. The coaches are doing their best to keep everyone fine." The team's dream trip turned into a nightmare when the organisers failed to book return flights after spending a week in Spain competing at an annual soccer tournament. One of the coaches working for the organisers, Jayvin Chisholm, said many of the coaches were furious with the top management of BT Academy, which admitted in a letter calling for donations that the funds paid by the players had fallen short of covering the estimated cost of the trip. "He's just trying to keep afloat with the coaches that are willing to even speak to him at this moment, being myself and coach Clayton, because the other coaches, they won't speak to him at all because they are just so furious about the whole situation."
