GEORGE NEWS - The Spur Group, Spur Foundation is co-ordinating a national toy collection drive to put a smile on some underprivileged children's faces.

Between 1 December and 16 January collection boxes for new and pre-loved toys will be available at:

• Geronimo Spur (George) and Timber Wolf Spur (Garden Route Mall)
• Panarottis George, Garden Route Mall
• Boxes will also be available at all Spur, John Dory's and Panarottis restaurants countrywide.

These boxes will be allocated to a Spur Foundation beneficiary per province.

The beneficiaries in the Western Cape are: Durbanville Children's Home, Umnqophiso Preprimary in Lwandle in the Strand and House of Grace, a place of safety for abandoned and abused children.

The toy drive, supported by CourierIT, Longstreet Media and Nampak, collected 77 boxes filled with toys in the 2013 period.

According to a 2014 National Adoption Coalition Report, there are 18,5 million children in South Africa. Orphans are estimated at about 5,2 million children.

Over 13 000 live in residential care facilities and an estimated 10 000 live on the streets of South Africa.

"This excludes the children who are with their families, but in such dire circumstances where they cannot afford basic necessities, never mind toys," says Ronel van Dijk, chairman of the Spur Foundation.

The Spur Foundation was founded on Mandela Day in 2012, with an initial R670 000 donation from the Spur Group.

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