| BAPS Charities LAUNCHES CHARITY DRIVE
FOR MALAWI'S AIDS ORPHANS
On Saturday, January
27, 2007, Andy Akinwolere of BBC's Blue Peter launched BAPS Charities' charity drive for the Blue Peter 'Shoebiz
Appeal'. The appeal, in support of a worldwide UNICEF campaign,
is aimed at helping needy children in Malawi orphaned through
AIDS.
Mr. Akinwolere,
the Nigerian-born TV presenter, was greeted by hundreds
of children and volunteers eager to launch the drive. As
BBC TV cameras watched on, a countdown and release of confetti
marked the public inauguration of the charity campaign.
Volunteers and their children contributed to the launch
with a strong show of support. Much to Andy's delight, they
brought onto the stage hundreds of pairs of shoes. BAPS Charities (UK) has set a target of collecting 5000
pairs of shoes for the appeal.
The 'Shoebiz Appeal'
is being promoted by Blue Peter, a long-running, popular
BBC children's television show. With more than 4,000 episodes
since it first started in 1958, Blue Peter is still screened
three times a week on BBC1, Britain's prime TV channel.
The show also runs an annual charity appeal which involves
young viewers collecting items that can be recycled or sold
to raise money for a worthy cause. Over the years, the show
has supported various international charities, including
Oxfam and Childline. This year's campaign encourages children
to collect shoes which will help raise funds for AIDS orphans
in Malawi.
In his public address
that evening, Andy spoke of the overwhelming experience
of his meeting with BAPS volunteers and the warm welcome
he had received from the children and parents. He offered
his gratitude to BAPS Charities (UK) for its support
of the 'Shoebiz Appeal' and shared his hopes for the future.
"Together," he said, "we can make a difference to the lives
of children orphaned by HIV and AIDS."
Clips of the launch
were broadcast on Blue Peter (BBC1) on Tuesday, February
6, 2007.
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