The Hermanus High School’s 1st team hockey girls have set some important goals; they not only want to play to win but make a difference with their Goals for Jemma initiative.
The girls have dedicated themselves to raising R100 000 towards tiny Jemma Boothroyd’s medical expenses or even surpassing this amount.
To reach their goal the girls invite their supporters to pledge money for each goal they score or each game they play or to even donate money straight into Jemma’s BackaBuddy account. So far they have managed to raise R28 000. Unfortunately they missed two games as result of the taxi strike last week.
The initiative came about when the team became aware of Jemma and her family’s plight. She was born in November 2020 with Down Syndrome. A few months later, in August 2021, she was diagnosed with leukaemia. To care for her daughter, Jemma’s mom Lee-Anne had to give up her job temporarily.
“For the first day or two I just cried my eyes out, but then I got a grip when I noticed her staring into my eyes,” Lee-Anne recalled.
Since then, she said, God has sent numerous angels including the hockey girls across her path. “The community of Hermanus has been awesome.”
Currently Jemma and Lee-Anne have to travel to Cape Town for four days every 28 days so Jemma can undergo “maintenance treatment” after completing her course of chemotherapy.
When the Hermanus High 1st team hockey girls first approached them, said Lee-Anne, she experienced a “truly WOW moment”.
“They played with her and it was truly touching. I am extremely grateful for God’s grace and everybody’s help.”
Leone Lanuti, whose daughter Alessia Lanuti is part of the hockey team, said Jemma and her family’s plight has really touched the hearts of the Hermanus High 1st team hockey girls. After meeting the cute toddler, the girls became even more dedicated to their special quest.
“Everyone thought it would be nice to play for a purpose bigger than themselves and just winning games,” Leone stated. “Their goal scoring mentality and hearts were changed. The girls’ determination and reason for practicing and scoring goals has increased and they now play with everything they’ve got.”
The team appeals to the community of Hermanus and the greater Overberg to help them reach the target of R100 000 by pledging per goal or per game or donating straight into Jemma’s Backabuddy account through which R70 000 has been raised so far.
“The team has scored 15 goals in their last six games and hope to score many more in the games to come,” Leone said, “so that together with the Overberg communities’ contributions we can reach the goal for Jemma and make memories that will last a lifetime.”
Jemma has a registered Backabuddy account – https://www.backabuddy.co.za/jemma-boothroyd – where all funds are deposited. More information is available at https://bit.ly/GoalsForJemma
