The tireless work of South African non-profit organisation Reach for Recovery (R4R) is funded each year by the Power of Pink campaign, a South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association’s (SAMFA) initiative. R1 from every pink punnet of fresh mushrooms sold nationally at Pick n Pay stores during October is donated to R4R’s Ditto Project.  The sole objective of this very special project is to provide free silicone prostheses to breast cancer survivors who cannot afford reconstruction after the life altering and heartbreaking reality of a mastectomy.

Launched in 2011, the Power of Pink campaign has resulted in just under 8000 silicone prostheses provided to financially strapped breast cancer survivors at a cost of more than R5,5 million. “To our astonishment,” exclaims Stephné Jacobs, Reach for Recovery’s National Chairperson, “2020 saw the highest amount raised since the campaign’s inception.  Big hearted South Africans contributed just under R700 000.00 despite their own financial hardships brought on by a year of lockdowns and job cuts. We and the Ditto Project recipients have been truly humbled by this generosity.”

“We couldn’t be prouder of our association with Reach for Recovery’s Ditto Project,” adds SAMFA Chairperson, Ross Richardson. “The dedication of every R4R volunteer – a breast cancer survivor herself – and the immense kindness of all South Africans who support the campaign is such restorative testimony to the goodness that lives in people.”

“Courage is grace under pressure,” said Ernest Hemingway in a 1929 interview with poet Dorothy Parker for The New Yorker magazine. He, of course, was right. Over these difficult Covid-19 years, it’s a mantra that has fuelled and furthered R4R’s most delicate of work, performed out of the public eye. “Lockdown regulations and the vulnerable health of breast cancer survivors in need brought about new challenges for R4R and our Ditto Project,” explains Stephné. “But being survivors ourselves, we realised very quickly that we could and must continue with our services in other ways! As we have done for 53 years, we continued our work with the assistance of advanced technology.

Our organisation’s Peer Support Services passionately offered ongoing much needed support via telephone, WhatsApp, and video conferencing. I am proud to be able to say that we were able to comfort women who not only went through mastectomies but who would also have had to live through the dreadful experience in complete isolation if we were not at the other end for them!”

Whilst fresh mushrooms and breast cancer have a strong humanitarian connection in South Africa, there is another scientific link between fresh mushrooms and the fight against breast cancer. In 2010, the Beckman Institute at the City of Hope Cancer Centre in California found that eating just 10g of mushrooms a day more than halved people’s risk of developing breast cancer.

That’s means eating just one fresh mushroom a day, a staggeringly easy step in self-care to avoid the ravages of such a terrible disease.  So, in 2021 let’s once again take courage together, for each of our own health and the restoration of breast cancer survivors. Let’s once again purchase fresh mushrooms in pink punnets at Pick n Pay stores from September 20 this year in an extended Power of Pink campaigns that will run until the end of October.

For more information, please contact Gina McLoughlin on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 0824137538.

Alternatively go to SAMFA’s website: www.mushroominfo.co.za

PIETERMARITZBURG, KWAZULU-NATAL, 14^TH JULY 2016 - Mandela Day is a global call to action that promotes the idea that each person has the power to transform the world, therefore on the 18^th of July 2016, the Cascades Lifestyle Centre in Pietermaritzburg is partnering with two leading conservation groups, the Dusi uMngeni Conservation Trust (DUCT) and GroundTruth, to host an educational workshop for 70 local students to receive interactive training on water conservation and river health. The Clean Rivers, Education and Training Day initiative will take place alongside the Townbush River next to the Cascades Lifestyle Centre from 8am to 12pm on Monday, 18 July 2016.

The 70 students taking part are all volunteers on DUCT’s River Care programme, which is a non-profit initiative focused on cleaning the Msunduzi and Umgeni Rivers. These volunteers regularly meet up to help clear invasive plants and waste from the banks of Pietermaritzburg’s rivers. The Cascades Lifestyle Centre will be sponsoring the infrastructure for the event, including trestle tables, gazebos and chairs, as well as refreshments for the students and training bodies. Coffeeberry Café, which is located at the Cascades Lifestyle Centre, will be sponsoring 100 cups of coffee for the workshop attendees, while Cascades Woolworths will be sponsoring lunch for the attendees. Throughout the morning, the students will be shown a range of tools that they can use to monitor the rivers they are working on, while also learning about the building blocks of a healthy river. The environmental and Government agencies conducting the training sessions include GroundTruth, DUCT, uMgungundlovu Municipality, WESSA, the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, Mondi and the Department of Water & Sanitation.

Ntswaki Ditlhale, Aquatic Ecologist at GroundTruth, says “With South Africa experiencing its worst drought in 30 years, maintaining and restoring river health has never been as important as now. GroundTruth and DUCT are passionate about helping people realise the relationship between human life and clean river systems. This is achieved by creating awareness and educating communities about aquatic ecosystems with the aid of citizen science tools. Special events, such as this, provide opportunities for communities to learn about the importance of river water and use their gained knowledge to bring about change.” Michelle Chinnu, Cascades Property Manager, says “Although this is not a public event, the public are very welcome to come over and interact with the organisations at the event. It will be very interesting”

Compiled by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Cascades Lifestyle Centre For all press enquiries – email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.