Hot 91.9FM is a radio station entrenched in the hearts of the community it serves because of the goodwill it generates constantly. Jeremy Mansfield is a larger than life personality who is strongly associated with charitable causes and personifies the meaning of philanthropy. Together, the two are a match made in Christmas Wish heaven.
Jeremy believes there is one aspect of his life he has missed since giving up radio full time in 2010. “It is something I grew up with in the Eastern Cape, and have treasured and maintained as an integral part of my being a member of the ma-British Settler/ama-Xhosa community. We give,” he said.
“I feel the country as a whole needs to feel the warmth of the generous spirit of giving. Giving needs to come straight from the heart, where it first started,” he continued.
Hot 91.9FM through its Hot Cares initiative recently raised over R2m at its annual Teddy-thon, which will contribute towards the needs of the community over the next year. “The station sees itself as a conduit,” said Lloyd Madurai, managing director of Hot 91.9FM. “As a non-profit company it is not only in our DNA, but it is our sole mandate to put the needs of others before our own,” he added. “Everything we do is for our community.”
Samantha Cowen, co-host of Mansfield in the Morning, said that it’s often the little things that matter the most to people. “When going through the selection process, it is often very difficult to make a call on who to help as there are so many people in need. Personally, I always remember that very often, just by giving someone a couch for their living room, we are changing the whole dynamic of a family situation. We are instilling pride and providing something that others see as a basic.”
The station was recently acknowledged at the South African Small Business Awards for the role it plays in the community. It was honoured with The National Community Award for the outstanding and significant contribution that it makes in the community. The National Small Business Champion Award is a unique award, and was awarded to the station for what it has done in terms of community upliftment. Both these awards are, in effect, national community awards.
Hot 91.9FM provides a solid, sustainable platform with a track record of community involvement. The Hot 91.9FM Christmas Wish is a perfect fit for the station and the community. Like everything the station undertakes, The Hot 91.9FM Christmas Wish will remind listeners and all South Africans that, in the words of Nelson Mandela, “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
Listeners are invited to send in their requests for friends, family members, colleagues, neighbours or a person they know who has fallen on hard times and deserves a break to az.oc.919toh@hsiwsamtsirhc.
