Cape Town - After years of doing ground work, sacrificing her time to help those around her, Western Cape Missing Persons Unit founder, Candice van der Rheede, swapped her slippers for a pair of heels.
Like a true Cinderella, Van der Rheede, 49, a mother of four, wrapped up the year with a birthday celebration and matric ball that was nothing short of a fairytale.
Van der Rheede recently completed her matric after attending night school.
When she received her results, her Missing Persons Unit members informed her of their plan to host the special matric ball to celebrate her on Saturday.
“I didn’t want anything big,” a humble Van der Rheede said.
“For each person to pay for a ticket is a lot, and most of the people supporting me are volunteers. I didn’t want to make a big fuss.”
But Van der Rheede soon found herself at the centre of the celebration that was filled with love and warmth – everything she could’ve ever dreamed of.
The day started like any other. Her daughter gave her a little pampering with a nail session.
“It was just a normal day,” she said with a chuckle.
At noon, she was off to the hairdresser, where she curled her long locks and got her eyebrows done.
Van der Rheede said when she got home, she and her daughter ended up watching movies and when the time came, she got ready and put on her white cocktail dress and waited for her partner – her husband, who would double as her coachman.
From the moment Van der Rheede and her guests arrived at the Capetonian Hotel, she recalled being treated like royalty.
“They really looked after us. “They made us all feel like guests of honour, the night was so magical, it was about all of the members, the volunteers and a reminder to never give up,” she said.
Van der Rheede made a speech like a valedictorian.
“Each one of us has a story to tell,” she said, highlighting the importance of not just celebrating her accomplishments, but the journeys of all those around her.
The real magic hit when Van der Rheede looked at herself in the mirror.
“It was so weird. The dress, the make-up, the heels – wow,” she laughed.
“I’m just that girl in shorts, slippers, and a bit of lipstick.”
The night wrapped up like a perfect fairytale: no after-party, no wild celebrations – just a quiet, cosy return home.
“There was no after-party for me,” she laughed.
“Who wants an after party when you’re so full (from food)?
“Straight home, and like Cinderella, I clocked in before midnight.”