Sandton’s winter skies are set to glow a little brighter this July as Footprints 4 Sam hosts its highly anticipated annual fundraising event — the Illuminate Gala Dinner.
- It’s an evening designed to warm hearts, inspire action, and make a lasting difference in the lives of children with life-limiting illnesses.
- Taking place on Saturday, 26 July 2025 at 6pm, the event will be held in the Polo Room at Inanda Club, offering guests a night of elegance, storytelling, and purpose.
- Funds raised will go towards funding the first Footprints 4 Sam Super Sam Hero Vehicle in Johannesburg.
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At its core, Illuminate is more than just another gala dinner. It is a celebration of life, resilience, and community spirit – and a call to action. For Footprints 4 Sam, an organisation born out of personal tragedy and driven by unwavering compassion, this evening represents an urgent opportunity to bring together individuals, corporates, and communities who believe that every child, regardless of circumstance, deserves to be seen, supported, and cared for with dignity and kindness.
This year’s Illuminate Gala has one very clear goal – to raise funds for the launch of the first Footprints 4 Sam Super Sam Hero Vehicle in Johannesburg, lovingly referred to as “Sam se Bussie”. Already making daily impact in Cape Town, with two vehicles clocking over 400’000 km, this initiative has become a lifeline for families, ensuring that children with chronic or life-limiting illnesses are transported safely and reliably to their crucial medical appointments.
Right now, so many children in Gauteng are missing critical follow-up appointments simply because they can’t get there. This is putting their lives at risk, and it’s unacceptable. We’ve seen the difference these vehicles have made in Cape Town, and our dream is to bring this lifesaving service to Jozi. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help.
// Co-Founder of Footprints 4 Sam, Melissa Williams-Platt
In many other countries — especially in developed nations — children with chronic or life-limiting illnesses are typically able to get to their medical appointments through structured, publicly funded systems or well-established community support networks. In South Africa, many of these systems are limited, underfunded, or simply unavailable, especially in public healthcare. That’s why organisations like Footprints 4 Sam step in — to bridge this critical gap. Their Super Sam Hero Vehicles are often the only dependable, dignified, and medically aware transport option for vulnerable families who can’t afford or access public/private alternatives.
So while children in other countries often have a safety net, in South Africa, initiatives like Footprints 4 Sam are the net — and every vehicle on the road is a lifeline. The Illuminate Gala is open to corporates, philanthropists, and caring citizens who want to be part of something extraordinary.
Tables are available at R30’000 for 10 guests, and individual donations to support the vehicle campaign can begin at R20’000. Melissa and the team are calling on businesses to sponsor tables, attend the evening with their teams, or support the initiative through their Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programmes.
Let your presence be your purpose. The joy, energy, and spirit of this night are unforgettable, but even more impactful is what your support allows us to achieve long after the music has stopped and the lights go down.
// Co-Founder of Footprints 4 Sam, Melissa Williams-Platt
The Illuminate Gala Dinner promises more than fine dining – it offers a meaningful journey. The evening will feature moving tributes to the families who face unimaginable health journeys with courage, as well as the healthcare professionals who walk alongside them with tireless compassion. Expect live entertainment, impactful storytelling, and an atmosphere charged with inspiration. But at its heart, the Gala is about community and connection. It’s a space where purpose-driven individuals gather to celebrate the progress made and to ignite change together – from the power of one dinner table, to the wheels of a vehicle that might just save a child’s life.
While the spotlight is on the Johannesburg vehicle fundraiser, the funds raised at Illuminate will also support Footprints 4 Sam’s six core programmes – each one dedicated to delivering comfort, dignity, and holistic care to vulnerable children and their families, as well as the professionals who care for them.
These initiatives include:
• Transport support for medical appointments
• Dignity and comfort packs for hospital stays
• Emotional and psychosocial support
• Healthcare worker advocacy and support
• Storytelling initiatives to humanise the paediatric healthcare experience
• Education and awareness campaigns around palliative care in children
These programmes are not only filling critical gaps in healthcare delivery – they are changing lives. The name “Illuminate” is no accident. In a world where children and families often navigate their darkest days, Footprints 4 Sam seeks to be the light. And for those who attend this Gala, that light can be shared — through generosity, through presence, and through purpose.
Whether you’re a company looking to make a tangible CSI impact, or an individual who wants to be part of something bigger than themselves, this is your moment to shine. For sponsorship opportunities, table bookings, or to make a direct donation, contact Melissa Williams-Platt at melissa@footprints4sam.org or Jo Giles at jo@frontpagecomms.co.za
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