I don’t recall the exact date, but it was sometime in August 2008, when my Mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like any trauma, you never forget the finer details. My Mum's journey to remission was not easy but as a family we came out stronger on the other side of cancer. With a maternal family history of cancer, its no surprise then that any effort to fight the disease gets my support.
Saturday, 4th February 2017 marked World Cancer Day - it provided the perfect opportunity to once again raise funds and awareness around the disease. According to the latest statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO), about 8.8 million people die from cancer per year, most due to late diagnosis. The stats go on to add that about 14 million people develop cancer every year, with the figure projected to rise to over 21 million by 2030.
It's clear why we need to do more. One initiative that aimed to do just that, saw the Pink Table Project and Zomato South Africa get together and challenge various restaurants in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban to host Pink Dinner Parties. The funds raised through the sales of tickets to these parties go toward organisations working to curb the spread of the disease. This initiative first started in 2016 and according to the Pink Table Project, more than 80 restaurants across South Africa participated, hosting over a thousand patrons. I took part in 2016 by accident, I happened to be out for dinner at a participating restaurant and so spontaneously joined in. This year, though I had a plan!
My Mum lives in Durban and couldn't join in, but she was the inspiration and motivation for me joining #thepinktableproject and Zomato South Africa's efforts. I invited some friends to come along and the plan was simple: celebrate life, our good health and friendship – while at the same time contributing to the cause against cancer. We selected CRAFT Restaurant in Parkhurst for our Pink Dinner Party and what a wonderful welcome we received. On arrival the single long table covered in pretty pink, party favours set the right tone. Once seated there was also a refreshing complimentary pink cocktail to start things off.
It was a very warm evening and none of us felt like having one big meal. We opted for a couple of platters covering all dietary requirements, vegetarian, meat and seafood. Its was perfect for sharing and we all had a taste of everything. The mussels were DELICIOUS, in fact we liked the sauce so much we ordered more. Everything on the plates were fresh and tasty, the other standout element was the grilled livers - yum. I am looking forward to my next visit to Craft and sampling a pizza from the bling, copper covered wood fired oven.
But the evening really was about the company & paying tribute to those who had lost the battle to cancer and to those who have and still are fighting against it! We chatted and laughed for hours, posed for many, many selfies and before you know it, it was past midnight.
The vibe at Craft is very lively, which is great for a fun evening out. There is a seated dinning area, with tables and chairs spilling onto the pavements over looking the main drag in Parkhurst. There is also a bar area with seating if you want just a tipple or 2. Service was professional and prompt, staff were great at accommodating our needs. Plus, I particularly like the playfulness, around the sign outside the loo.
My Mum will tell you that from her experience, prevention is better than a cure, so encourage everyone you love and value, male and female to test and not wait until it’s too late. Forewarned is fore armed, if you can afford it, genetic testing is available for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Mutations to these can indicate your risk level for various cancers.
And I hope to see you at a Pink Dinner Party in 2018 - play your part in fighting cancer, join in!