This effort by the two iconic South African brands, one from the auto industry and one from the world of sports, was the result of an earlier initiative by the Lions encouraging fans to brighten a child’s Christmas by donating toys at a recent Vodacom United Rugby match against the Dragons, which took place at Emirates Airline Park.

The many gifts brought to the stadium by fans were collected, packaged and dropped off at the ward for children with life-threatening diseases by Chery team members and players from the Lions Rugby teams.

The hand-over coincided with a special Christmas party for all the children in the children’s ward. This was hosted by the Reach for a Dream Foundation with the help of Chery South Africa and the Lions.

Last year, the Lions hosted their neighbours, Dlala Nje, a youth community centre based inside the Ponte Tower, for a Christmas party.

“As the Lions, we are extremely delighted to be part of the heart-warming initiative. It’s the season for giving and today shows how acts of kindness can change the lives of children during the festive period.

“Furthermore, initiatives such as these are all part of our mission of connecting with the people of Jozi in various ways and making an impact on the communities around the city. A massive thank you to all Lions’ fans and other stakeholders involved who once again, as they did last year, made a huge contribution of toys during the campaign.

“A further thank you to our official vehicle partner, Chery, for accompanying us on this journey,” said Rudolf Straeuli, CEO of the Lions Rugby Company.

Chery has become synonymous with charity events like these in South Africa. This was just another opportunity for them to make good on their slogan of #With Chery With Love. Earlier this year, they came to the aid of Othandweni Family Care Centre in Soweto on Fathers’ Day and were also the benefactor of various charities on Mandela Day.

“While Chery has a jam-packed schedule of charitable events, hosted both by the head office and our dealer partners, it was a wonderful experience to be able to join Lions Rugby and Reach for a Dream to make this event a reality,” says Jay Jay Botes, General Manager of Chery South Africa.