Maritzburg United (all standing in the rear) collaborates with WhizzKids United for a fun-filled day with the children.

On December 9, 2011, Premier League football club Maritzburg United teamed up with WhizzKids United to celebrate its HIV youth programme in partnership with the Edendale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg. The event commemorated the success of the Health Academy and rewarded adolescents who attended the youth-friendly clinic throughout the year and successfully adhered to living a positive and healthy lifestyle. Over 400 guests, including school principals, business leaders and local students, attended our function and contributed into making this an incredibly successful event.

The players from Maritzburg United that joined the festivities were Rheece Evans, Byrone Hendricks, Kurt Lentjies, Kulegani "Chillies" Madondo, Michael Morton and Jabulani "JB" Ncubeni. In addition, goalkeeper coach Ronnie Kanalelo and second assistant coach Ashwin Sutton were also present for the event. The players and coaches not only congratulated the youth of the Edendale area but also provided coaching tips on how to improve their football skills. Sutton supervised all the on-field activity as Madondo, Lentjies and Kanalelo led the dribbling station for the children. Evans and Morton worked on passing while Hendricks and Ncubeni focused on headers.

The team also participated in a ceremony which rewarded the youth for their dedication to living positive and healthy lives. The players and coaches of Maritzburg United handed out certificates, distributed gifts and exchanged hugs and high-fives with the award recipients. Each WhizzKid received a holiday gift bag that included a complimentary ticket to the upcoming December 17th home game against the Jomo Cosmos in Pietermaritzburg. And to everyones delight all attendees were given a complimentary ticket to Saturday's game as well. This event marked the second time this year that the club joined WhizzKids United to stress how football is greatly beneficial for youth development.

The youth of the Health Academy loved Maritzburg United and enjoyed every single moment with the professional footballers. The ability for these children to interact and experience this great group of athletes and coaches in their very own community is what made the event truly special. Thank you to Maritzburg United for not only contributing to the success of our event but also for making a great impact on the children and community of Edendale.