Cape Town, Wednesday 10 December 2008: The South African Open Championship handed over a mobile toy library, believed to be the first of its kind in the province today to the Pebbles Project, the event’s official charity.



The handover of the toy library marks the start of the South African Open’s support of the Pebbles Project, a charity committed to enriching the lives of children with special educational needs in the Cape Winelands.

Sophia Warner, Director of the Pebbles Project, said that the mobile toy library was a fantastic start to the relationship with the South African Open.



"Our overall objective is to provide specialist educational support for disadvantaged children in the Cape Winelands, and this toy library will give each child at the crèches that we work with a chance to take out a new toy or educational game every two weeks. We work with 500 children on ten wine farms in the area and this branded vehicle, packed with toys and educational games supports our holistic approach to community development", she said.



"The Wines of South Africa (WOSA) UK Importers Committee also contributed to the toy library project and we are extremely grateful for their support."

David Spencer, CEO-Golf for Leisurecorp, the owners of Pearl Valley Golf Estates, said that this was the first time that the national championship had officially partnered with a charitable organisation.

"Our donation of R200 000 is a meaningful contribution to support this worthy cause. I have heard that some of the children do not have a toy of their own, so I’m thrilled that our involvement with the Pebbles Project makes a tangible difference." "Every visitor that attends this event will know that they have made a contribution and affected the lives of a group of Cape Winelands children for the better," he said.