24.04.2007 - Raise one million soccer balls with Let’s Play Let’s Play, SuperSport’s premier social responsibility project, has launched a national campaign to raise one million soccer balls by the start of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Endorsed and supported by Supersport, UNICEF and media partners, “Let’s Play A Million” encourages individuals, organisations and companies to donate through an SMS service and a National telethon. Regular activity is associated with physical, psychosocial and cognitive benefits like increased physical fitness, effective weight management, improved confidence and self-image, improved attention and academic performance and a decrease in juvenile delinquency, alcohol and substance abuse. To facilitate and enable regular activity “Let’s Play a Million” will distribute balls to children in schools and communities throughout South Africa and co-ordinate the placement of soccer coaches in selected areas; an infrastructure that encourages both participation and skills development. “Let’s Play a Million will be one of the first projects that will embrace the positive spirit of the 2010 World Cup,” says SuperSport’s Vaughn Bishop. Macharia Kamau, Country Representative for UNICEF, is fully behind this campaign. “It [Let’s Play A Million] will reinforce awareness of the right of children to play while directly supporting the Government’s ‘mass participation in sport’ strategy,” he said. The “Let’s Play A Million” campaign kicks off at the beginning of May. Individuals and organisations wishing to make a donation to this initiative will be able to do so via SMS. Just sms "BALL" to 42500 (from 1 May 2007). The pledge amount per soccer ball is R30 and this will be the cost of each SMS. Five partner radio stations jump in on Wednesday, 27 June, with a National telethon. East Coast Radio, Heart 104.9, OFM, Kaya FM and Algoa FM reach a vast percentage of South Africa’s population, which ensures awareness across all cultural levels. “The support of all South Africans towards this initiative will most certainly create opportunities for our children to learn and play beyond 2010,” adds Bishop.