In South Africa, one in every 88 children is affected by autism. Statistics show that the prevalence of autism has increased by 500% over the past five years, and that at least ten new cases are identified every week in the Western Cape alone. There are currently only six state-funded schools catering for children with autism in the entire country, and this means that thousands of children on the autism spectrum are not receiving the benefit of education intervention.

SNAP (Special Needs Adapted Programme) is a Durbanville, Cape Town based centre for children with special needs. They specialise mainly in autism and learning disabilities and are one of only a few organisations in South Africa offering this service. They provide intervention and home programmes in Gauteng and Bloemfontein and they offer training to professionals, teachers and parents.

This April, as for the past 5 years, SNAP will host a prestigious gala dinner to celebrate World Autism Month and raise much needed funds to intervene in the lives of children without means. The event will be MC'd by Marc Lottering, South African comedian, and there will be a charity auction to raise funds. The glamorous six-course dinner will include a wine pairing with exclusive wines sponsored by Nederburg Wines and will take place on the 19th of April 2013 at The President Hotel in Bantry Bay. Tickets are available at R1000 per person. The net proceeds of this donation are tax deductible in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act.

If you are interested in sponsoring a price or purchasing a ticket, please contact Esmé Brink at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . To find out more about SNAP, visit their website at www.snap.org.za.