Reddy parties with 10000 kids

TEN thousand excited children, pink cupcakes to feed an army, the blistering heat and a no-show guest of honour all constituted the huge birthday celebration of Durban businessman Vivian Reddy on Saturday last week.

TEN thousand excited children, pink cupcakes to feed an army, the blistering heat and a no-show guest of honour all constituted the huge birthday celebration of Durban businessman Vivian Reddy on Saturday last week.

Reddy, who turned 61, wanted to mark his birthday with an ambitious children's day at the People's Park at Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Never one to do anything by half measures, Reddy splurged R3-million on treating thousands of disadvantaged children to a somewhat chaotic day of fun, games, treats and a celebrity or two.

Reddy had promised Winnie Madikezela-Mandela would be there, but a sudden illness led her to cancel the trip at the last minute.

Four hours after the event kicked off and the children were running out of steam, Reddy arrived in a minibus with his glamorous wife, Sorisha, and their two children, Sahil and Kalina.

Kitted out in casual attire, Reddy graciously greeted his VIP guests. They had waited patiently under the shade of a fancy white marquee - reserved for them - for the birthday boy to arrive.

Reddy commissioned bakery owner Preven Reddy to tackle the huge task of baking 10000 cupcakes for the event.

Some guests brought novelty cakes and trays of sweets and Swiss chocolate and queued without complaint to congratulate Reddy, who juggled the media and his guests with ease.

Sorisha, elegant in a flowing grey and white ensemble, posed for pictures and greeted the guests with warmth.

Reddy laid out a buffet lunch for his VIPs, among them health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo and popular Generations star Winnie Modise, who plays Khetiwe in the SABC1 soapie.

Modise, elegant in a casual black jumpsuit, caused a stir among the young fans who pushed and shoved for photo opportunities with her. She praised Reddy for his magnanimous gesture. "I'm overwhelmed by Vivian's generosity. It has inspired me," she said.

While the children and grown-ups revelled in the day's events, Sorisha was anxious to oversee the evening's festivities at their Umhlanga home.

Reddy, the consummate host, decided to treat family and friends to a do at his plush house. The couple laid out a spread of Indian delights and an unlimited supply of sushi for more guests keen to share in another milestone in the businessman's life.