A Few Highlights of my journey as a Jacaranda Show Finalist.

My name is Tayla Cross, I am 5 years old. I am a finalist in the Jacaranda show in the dance and modeling categories.

As a finalist, I have certain responsibilities, including fundraising and charity work.

My main project involves collecting old reading glasses which members of the community donate. I then hand these over to institutes which work in conjunction with the Lions Club. The Lions Club is then responsible for fixing these spectacles, which they then give to the less privileged who require spectacles but cannot afford them.

Due to the support of the community, I made my first delivery of 240 spectacles to Saks Taylor & Brauer on the 7th August 2017. I am currently collecting spectacles for my next delivery.

During my journey, I received a sponsorship for dog food from NTK Thabazimbi, and I was able to donate this food to Thabazimbi Animal Rescue (TAR) in an attempt to help the animals kept there. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with the dogs and I really enjoyed it.

In order to raise funds, we held a “vetkoek” sale on the 4 August in Thabazimbi. I worked together with another Jacaranda show finalist and friend Odelea van der Nest. This project was a major success where we were able to sell a total of 600 “vetkoek”. The members of our community went out of their way to support us and thus assisted in our success.

Another one of my projects involved donating small nursery school mattresses and pillows to a less privileged school Lethabo Day Care Centre in Regorogile . These mattresses were sponsored by Smart Brain Kids Thabazimbi, which is my current nursery school. The aim of this project was to meet new friends and to give them something that many of us take for granted, a warm comfortable mattress to sleep on while at nursery school during the day.

There is one more project i wish to complete during my time as a finalist. This project is only possible because of the sponsor of Colgate toothpaste made by Pick ‘n Pay Thabazimbi. I plan to donate the toothpaste to the Gr R’s and Gr1’s of Tswelapele Primary School together with new toothbrushes. I will be visiting their school soon, personally meet each pupil and give them a package including a tube of Colgate and a toothbrush. “I hope to not only brighten up their day but to brighten up their smiles too!”

Thus far I have really enjoyed my journey as a Jacaranda show Finalist. It has taught me to appreciate what I have and what I have the opportunity to do, because there are many people out there who don’t even have the basics. It has taught me to smile and be myself even in difficult situations.

Most of all I have learnt that even though I am still young, I can make a huge difference in many people’s and animals’ lives by simply being me, and by doing my best in every possible situation.