Footprints 4 Sam Super Sam Hero Vehicle Project

Dear Friend,

We are so excited to share the news about our wonderful Gala Fundraising Dinner that took place on the 26th of July at the beautiful Inanda Club in Johannesburg.

Despite the winter chill outside, the Polo Room was brought alive with colour, laughter, connection and generosity, as over 150 guests joined us for Illuminate 2025 - our annual celebration of hope, community and impact.

This year, we gathered with a very special goal in mind, to raise funds toward our very first "Super Sam Hero Vehicle" in Johannesburg – a project that’s been close to our hearts for a long time.

We’ve already seen what a difference safe, reliable transport can make. Our existing Transport Initiative in Cape Town has been running successfully for several years and has travelled over 400,000 kilometres, transporting more than 40,000 patients and caregivers to and from hospitals and clinics.

Now, we’re expanding that impact to Johannesburg. For many of the families we support, travelling to hospital is one of the biggest barriers to accessing care. Public transport is often unsafe, unaffordable, or simply unavailable, and when you’re caring for a seriously ill child, those challenges can feel overwhelming.

But thanks to the incredible generosity shown at Illuminate, we are now one step closer to changing that.

With the support raised on the night, we’ve begun paving the way for a “Sam se Bussie” in Jozi that will help ensure children can travel to essential care safely, comfortably and with dignity.

The evening itself was a beautiful mix of storytelling, laughter and purpose. Our incredible MC, the vibrant Dr Nokukhanya Khanyile-Lenake, brought energy and heart to the stage. Guests were treated to music, talented dancers, fine food, an electric performance from Larry Soffer the Mentalist, and a spirited live auction that had paddles flying for a great cause.

Each guest received a brightly coloured fleece blanket with a simple message: pass it on. This small but meaningful gift encouraged attendees to ‘pay it forward’ and offer warmth to someone in need in their own community, reinforcing the ethos of human connection that lies at the heart of the Trust’s work.

We will keep you updated on the progress of our first ever "Sam se Bussie" in Joburg and are hoping to have it on the streets of Johannesburg by February! 

From all of us at Footprints 4 Sam, thank you for walking this journey with us. It is through your ongoing support that we are able to continue to do the work that we do and we are truly grateful!

Warmest regards

Hello from the Footprints 4 Sam Team!

 We hope this update finds you well , and thank you, as always, for being part of our Footprints 4 Sam family!

It’s been a wonderfully busy start to the year for our Super Sam Hero Transport Initiative, and our two amazing drivers – Humbie and Sonwabo – who’ve been clocking up kilometres, come rain or shine, with their warm smiles and incredible dedication. These legends aren’t just drivers, they are trusted companions to so many little VIP passengers and their caregivers, helping them get to life-saving medical appointments on time, every time.

 You should see them in action, navigating buggies, wheelchairs and hospital corridors like pros, while dishing out high-fives and hugs. Our families (and especially our little patients !) absolutely adore them.

 We are also celebrating some pretty BIG milestones. Humbert recently celebrated his birthday on the 4^th of May, and we received our latests statistics. Since the inception of this project we have transported over 14,200 passengers (that’s children and their caregivers) and covered more than 400,000 kilometres in service of paediatric healthcare!

 What do these milestones mean?

 They mean dignity.

They mean attendance at crucial appointments.

They mean access to medication.

They mean community.

They mean love, care, and tangible support.

They mean life, quality of life – and most of all, they mean hope.

As you know we currently have our two vehicles operating in Cape Town that transport paients to their appointments at government hospitals and clinics, but there is a HUGE need for a vehicle to be based in Johannesburg, to help children and families in need to get to their essential medical appointments at the city’s overburdened government hospitals. The demand is there - and so is the will. We just need the wheels!

To help make this a reality, we’re pulling out all the stops, and will also be hosting our first Gala Fundraising Dinner since Covid to raise the funds needed to get our third Footprints 4 Sam vehicle on the road and working hard for those who need it most.

We will keep you updated on this project, but in the interim a massive thanks for your ongoing support and generosity to help us keep the wheels on our vehicles turning.

With all our love and thanks,

The Footprints 4 Sam Team

Links:

• http://www.footprints4sam.org
• https://www.instagram.com/footprints4sam/