THE RENDEZVOUS CASINO IN SOUTHEND LAUNCHES ‘A DEAL FOR AFRICA’ A CHARITABLE CAMPAIGN AIMED AT GENERATING A RANGE OF GOODS FOR SOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIPS

On July 13th, The Rendezvous Southend will launch 'A Deal 4 Africa' in a bid to collect a broad range of goods to be donated to townships – in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The Rendezvous very own Tony Donnelly used to work in South Africa at The Emerald Casino, and witnessed first hand the severity of the poverty in the region, and consequently is passionate about making a real difference.

With a ‘deck of cards’ being an iconic symbol of casinos across the world it is appropriate to use Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades to differentiate the collection categories: Hearts represents clean second hand clothing for adults and children, especially warm clothing. Smart clothes such as suits and dresses will assist a young person seeking employment thus enhancing their future prospects, there is also huge demand for clean second hand underwear. For Diamonds we would like to collect, children’s and adults’ reading books. For Clubs we are looking for sports kit and equipment. This can include soccer boots, trainers, sports kit, footballs, tennis rackets cricket bats. South African kids love to play sport. Finally for Spades we are seeking Art and Craft materials such as paint, paper, crayons, drawing and writing materials, glue and fabrics, any arts and crafts materials. Customers, members of the public, celebrities and staff are all asked to assist us in our bid and bring anything they can spare to The Rendezvous Southend between July 13th and the end of August. Everything donated will be sorted by our staff and shipped in a full forty foot container to one of LCI’s international venues - Emerald Casino Resort - in Gauteng where the Emerald Charitable Foundation will distribute the goods to the townships and to local charities. Says Tony Donnelly, Club Director at The Rendezvous Southend: “Rendezvous casino (owned by London Clubs International) is passionate in our role to support charitable issues both in our local communities and overseas. The Emerald Foundation was founded by our casino in South Africa and they have done an invaluable job fundraising for the townships since opening in 2001. Having worked at The Emerald Casino in South Africa, I witnessed first hand the astounding level of poverty in the townships and feel very strongly about helping the local people in any way possible. “Here in Southend we are appealing to all of our customers, staff and of course members of the public who might be passing through to hand in their donations. Any donations will be given to the people who need them the most. We will be distributing the supplies directly to the children and needy within the townships and your clothes, sports goods, reading books and art material will make a huge difference to their lives. “We are NOT collecting money, but material goods that will instantly make a difference to the lives of the recipients. By September 2009, a huge number of people in Gauteng will benefit from your generosity.” The Rendezvous Southend is also delighted to announce that the national captain of South Africa’s (and part of Portsmouth FC) football squad Aaron Mokoena – who was born in one of the townships himself -will champion this initiative. Says Aaron Mokoena: “I am pleased to be involved in this initiative and know what a difference it will make to some of the communities in the Gauteng area. I commend The Rendezvous Southend for developing this initiative and look forward to working closely with them.”