Words: Eunice Visagie
Getting out of a comfort zone and doing something different for a community project – these were the main reasons for the decision to take on the challenge of doing a special edition calendar with the main goal of raising funds and having fun at the same time.
Photo credit: MULLERFOTO.COM
‘Coffee and suits: Calendar with a difference’ is the theme of a project collaboration between Eunice Visagie from Outsider Communications and CM Muller of MULLERFOTO.COM. It will be a special edition 2015 calendar.
Sportsmen from across various sporting codes gave their time for this calendar that will sell to raise funds for the Ithemba Foundation. They are captain of the Springbok Sevens rugby team Kyle Brown, gold medal winner with the Sevens at the Commonwealth Games Chris Dry, Springbok Sevens players Stephan Dippenaar and Steven Hunt; international hockey players Wade Paton, Pierre de Voux and Dylan Swanepoel; triathletes Bradley Weiss, Theo Blignaut and Matt Daneel; mountain bikers Adriaan Louw and Jurgens Uys and soccer player Alcardo van Graan. All the photos for the calendar were taken in the häzz Espresso Bar in Stellenbosch.
The Ithemba Foundation is a non-profit entity with the public benefit goals of raising awareness of depression as a biological illness, and raising funds for research on depression. If depression is the illness of despair, then we need to constantly focus on HOPE (Ithemba means hope in isiXhosa). Every individual can be an agent of HOPE by talking openly about depression to break the silence and the stigma around this biological illness, which can become fatal.
“I love doing personal projects because of the creative freedom that comes with it. It is always fun and challenging to take on projects like these. The different challenges you come up against gives me the opportunity to develop myself as a photographer and that creates a learning experience,” said Muller.
Springbok Sevens player Steven Hunt said: “It is just as important to me as it is to the Springbok Sevens setup to give back and reach out to others. I thought an opportunity like this could be a fun and alternative way to do so.”
South African hockey player Dylan Swanepoel said: “I first got involved in the project for last year’s calendar as I had never been involved in a project of this type before and I thought it would be a nice experience for me. When the offer came around to do something similar I got involved straight away. Coming from a sport with not a lot of financial backing I know how important and what an impact finances can have to people that do not have them in abundance.”
“Doing something for charity and something out of the ordinary like this, is what being a professional sportsman is all about. Giving something of yourself without expecting back, is a great way of getting involved,” said professional mountain biker Adriaan Louw.
Sevens rugby player Stephan Dippenaar, Paul Roos Gymnasium old boy added: “It was fun, way out of my comfort zone off course, but I had fun. To do something like this for a good cause is really great.”
“I really enjoyed this project. Getting out of the racing gear into a suit was something really different. I’m just glad that I can give something small like my time and my support to this foundation,” said triathlete Matt Daneel, also a Paul Roos old boy.
Marisa Freeman from häzz said: “Our slogan at häzz is ‘Coffee for Heroes’. The opportunity to get involved with a project that will help those who are desperately in need of some heroic actions was an easy one.”
Calendars can be bought from Eunice Visagie and picked up at häzz. Contact her at or send an email to .
Link to video made of the photo shoots http://vimeo.com/channels/495994
