Darren goes blonde for Toy Story!
East Coast Radio’s Toy Story with Game Corporate Day Challenge united people from across KwaZulu-Natal from the moment it kicked off at 5.30am this morning, and what a phenomenal start to the day it was!
Individuals and businesses opened their hearts and wallets to donate to the annual campaign aimed at helping disadvantaged children in our province. By the time Darren Maule and Natarah Nadesan wrapped up their East Coast Breakfast show, listeners had donated a whopping R545 241!!!
Six-year-old Rayhaan Ahmed set the tone early on in East Coast Breakfast, telling Darren that he was pledging R100 of his own money! He challenged his fellow pupils from Parkside Primary in Malvern to do the same.
Dolphins player Cameron Delport, local fashion fundi Bianca Warren, Miss eThekwini Lisanne Lazarus and local theatre personalities joined Darren and team at the Pavilion Shopping Centre between 6am and 9am to help man the pledge lines.
(Above: Darren sizes up against the Dolphins’ Cameron Delport)
(Above: Miss eThekwini Lisanne Lazarus manning the Toy Story Corporate Day pledge line)
Last year Darren stripped off during the Corporate Day Challenge and ran through Suncoast his teensy weensy underpants in an effort to raise funds. Those who witnessed the spectacle have never been able to forget!
To save everyone from potential trauma this year, raven-haired Darren vowed to do something he promised he’d never ever do: go “Eminem blonde”! His team mate Gabriel Sithole promised to do the same if they managed to raise R400 000 by the end of their show at 9am.
When the clock struck 9, true to their word, Darren and Gabriel headed off to Terry Scott for their transformation after listeners helped raise a whopping R545 000!!
“People of KZN really came on board! “ says Darren.
“I don’t know what was more heart-warming – businesses who came forward with R50 000 or school kids who donated from their pocket money or the unemployed guy who wanted to remain anonymous who gave us R50. Every little bit counts. I can’t think of a better feeling than this!” he added.
This is how Darren and Gabriel's transformation started:
#TerryScott Hair Fashion do your hair and stop aliens from stealing your thoughts! @NatarahNadesan @GabrielSithole pic.twitter.com/0GNXS5PD6i
— Darren Maule (@darrenmaule) November 21, 2014
Can you even handle it? @darrenmaule is.... BLONDE! #ECRToyStory #PaveFestive @NatarahNadesan pic.twitter.com/XXnPoLeveC
— East Coast Breakfast (@ECRBreakfast) November 21, 2014
And this is how it ended:
.@ECRBreakfast the first blonde returns from the hairdresser. @GabrielSithole looks good! #ECRToyStory pic.twitter.com/cCJVMWiLEr
— George Thorne (@playdatedbn) November 21, 2014
(Above: The team!)
(Above: The side view)
(Above: The front view)
Looking good, guys!
The Corporate Day Challenge continues until 6pm tonight so if you or your company would like to make a pledge, please call 031 265 0147. You never know which celebrity will be answering your call!
Mandoza, Gangs of Ballet, Majozi, Lloyd Cele, Matthew Mole and many others will be joining us throughout the day.
Help us make a difference to the lives of ill, orphaned and destitute children in KZN.
The money will be used to provide meals to child-headed households across our province.
This as East Coast Radio’s Toy Story with Game continues to roll out toy drop-offs at hospitals, children’s homes and orphanages.