NetFlorist expands its Cotlands Roses Campaign

Johannesburg, 1 November, 2010 - True to its track record of promoting the greater good, NetFlorist is set to launch its fourth annual Cotlands Roses Campaign. To be part of this drive, customers need only order any orange rose offering from www.netflorist.co.za. This includes NetFlorist's unique and newly available preserved, long-stemmed orange roses. NetFlorist will donate a generous percentage of the sales of these roses to Cotlands for orders placed between November 8 and 19.

Aside from doing their bit to help the less fortunate, those who participate in the campaign will be getting great value for their money. The preserved roses last for up to six months, offering a cost-effective and maintenance-free substitute for fresh flowers. They come elegantly packaged in a chic black box and add a vibrant touch to any living space.

"Orange roses symbolise enthusiasm and this reflects the attitude of the Cotlands team, which constantly strives to improve the lives of vulnerable children, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds," says Sue Morris, Marketing Director for NetFlorist."We firmly believe that Cotlands is making a tangible contribution to social upliftment in South Africa and that's why we are offering people an easy way to support the organisation, while at the same time, benefitting from a beautiful flower arrangement that will last for months."

"We consider NetFlorist to be one of our best donors, not only because of the money it raises but also because of its loyalty and willingness to get behind us with great ideas like the Cotlands Roses Campaign," says Jackie Schoeman, executive director for Cotlands. She points out that the greater the number of people that offer financial support to Cotlands, the less money each person needs to donate to help sustain the organisation. This makes the Cotlands Roses Campaign an ingenious solution to people's reduced ability to donate generously.

The funds raised during this year's campaign will go towards caring for the children at Cotland's residences. "The relationship between NetFlorist and Cotlands publicly demonstrates that together we making a difference in the lives of all our beneficiaries," Schoeman says.

NetFlorist garners further support for Cotlands on a year-round basis with its "roundup" initiative. Customers are encouraged to round their transactions up to the nearest R5 and the proceeds raised are given to Cotlands every month.

Support the Cotlands Roses Campaign by visiting ww.netflorist.co.za and placing an order for one of NetFlorist's three orange rose offerings: a NetFlorist Dozen (15) preserved orange roses (R399; R20 goes to Cotlands), a NetFlorist Dozen fresh orange roses (R209; R10 goes to Cotlands) or 24 orange roses in cellophane (R339; R20 goes to Cotlands). Alternatively, offer your support to Cotlands by rounding up your transaction. Delivery charges are R45 for flowers and R55 for gifts.

About Cotlands & The Roses Campaign

Cotlands started out as a care centre for unwed mothers and their infants. Over the past 74 years of its existence, it has grown into an organisation offering shelter for abused, abandoned, HIV-positive, orphaned and terminally ill children from birth to twelve years of age, as well as community-based programmes to meet the needs of vulnerable children in five of South Africa's provinces.

To achieve its ultimate goal - equipping families to care for their children at home - Cotlands has added even more components to the services it offers. It now empowers such families with the appropriate skills and sufficient resources through its support groups, income-generating projects, food gardens, counselling, material aid and assistance with accessing social grants.

The R27 000 that was raised during last year's Roses Campaign went towards the general running of Cotlands' residential care programme. This year's campaign comes at a time when most companies have been forced to reduce their corporate social investment budgets drastically in order to stay afloat. Individuals who are finding it tough to make ends meet are also not able to donate as generously as before. As a result, Cotlands is facing increasingly serious financial shortages.