Big smiles at Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH) thanks to the Mica and Plascon Build-a-Bear donation station

With the goal of bringing comfort to some of the many South African children undergoing serious medical treatment at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital (NMCH) in Johannesburg, Plascon and Mica sponsored a Build-a-Bear station at the Mica Market annual trade fair. On 10 September 2024, 600 attendees were invited to customise a teddy bear to keep or donate to the hospital. Plascon has generously matched the total number of soft toys created by Mica on the day, resulting in a heartfelt donation to the hospital’s young patients.

‘We understand the difficulties surrounding children’s medical treatments in some of our communities and we’d like to show we care with our built-with-love teddies. We hope this gesture brings smiles to their faces and a little extra comfort during their hospital stay,’ says Kristel Dreyer, Brand Marketing Manager at Plascon.

The Mica Market presented the perfect opportunity to call upon a large audience of 120 stores, 100 suppliers, and a support team, to make a meaningful difference. Ingrained in Mica and Plascon’s DNA is a shared passion to uplift the local communities they serve, and Build-a-Bear’s sponsorship provided a platform to make this possible.
Visitors who participated in the Build-a-Bear activation were given a choice of colour, outfit and accessories. With the addition of co-branded Plascon and Mica details, they could produce a unique furry friend to take home or add to the donation pile.

The matched donation was not contingent on the choice to donate or not, but rather on the overall number of plush toys that were built at the Mica Market. Every participant opting to donate was photographed with their toy, to accompany the in-person handover at the hospital.

NMCH was established by Nelson Mandela in 1995 as an NPO and it is a dedicated paediatric facility serving the children of Southern Africa. By working together, Plascon and Mica are helping to further the hospital’s vision of changing the way society treats its children and youth in order to improve their conditions and lives.