Excitement is building as the Keep Pietermaritzburg Clean Action (KPCA) Group’s Rock the Block event draws near — and with it, the return of the much-loved Ellie mascot, now renamed Stellie the Ellie.

The bubbly elephant mascot underwent a transformation during last year’s Ellie Tale, beginning as Ellie from Cordwalles Preparatory School to Nellie by St John’s Diocesan School for Girls who raised R5000, and thanks to the creative minds at St Nicholas Diocesan School’s primary phase, Ellie was officially renamed Stellie in the spirit of the early Mandela Day fundraising.

KPCA director Lara Edmonds said the new name reflects the mascot’s rising stardom. “We arrived at the school with two Ellie Friends and a giant challenge to raise funds to reclaim the Duzi Sports Fields for the community. While there, a little one asked if we could change her name to Stellie.

“She has become a rock star and she’s rocking the block, becoming a saint and a celestial Stellie,” said Edmonds.

The Rock-the-Block Fun Walk/Run will take place on Saturday, July 13, with the aim of raising funds to rehabilitate the Duzi Sports Fields — a once-proud recreational space now choked by invasive cat’s claw, plagued by illegal dumping, and left unsafe due to stagnant water and disrepair.