The coffers of Project Flamingo, founded by surgeon Dr Liana Roodt, were favourably boosted when it received a donation of R30 000 from representatives of SPAR Western Cape.
The donation originated from SPAR Western Cape’s annual cancer charity event held last October. The event, attended by 600 women, supports Cancervive, an organisation it has supported nationally for more than 10 years. Cancervive’s annual cancer ride does great work to spread awareness, educate and deliver a message of hope and encouragement to communities, many of whom do not have access to this information.
At the handover to Project Flamingo, Elsabe van Zyl-Felix, advertising manager for SPAR Western Cape, said it was a privilege to be in a position where women can make a difference for women. “This donation was essentially made possible by hair-care, make-up and skin-care brand Hannon; its founder, Hannon Bothma, was a guest speaker at our October event. In light of it being a cancer charity event, he waived the usual guest-speaker fee. SPAR is donating [the fee] to Project Flamingo. I have often heard Dr Liana Roodt speaking on the radio and I am so pleased this group of women, all making waves in their fields, could make it happen here today.”
Roodt founded Project Flamingo in 2010 after being deeply moved by the desperate need in the public-health sector. Her idea captured the hearts of friends and colleagues, and soon she had a trusted team to help her make quality compassionate cancer care available to all. A specialist, she has won several research awards and was named one of the Top 10 Healthcare Innovators of 2014 by the UCT Graduate School of Business.
Roodt is in private practice and works at Groote Schuur’s Breast and Endocrine Unit.
