A Warm Winter Awaits

It's going to be a warm winter for kids and others at the Woodside Sanctuary and the 5Cees in Berea, judging by the efforts of the crack team of super salesmen who took to the streets of Parkview on Saturday and Sunday.

     They collected enough money to buy 100 blankets on their first two days.

Loitering with intent ... the New Dawn team collecting money for blankets

     Congratulations are due to Samantha Donet, who is organizing the blanket drive for New Dawn.

     Many thanks also to Jankees and Judy, Joan, Jenine, Frayne and Carol Stier, who was behind the camera when this photo was taken.

     Debbie Smith also chipped in with a few blankets of her own.

     The team for next week, with a repeat performance from Sam and some of the others from last weekend and Linda and Lucille on board, are going to try their best to break the target of 200 blankets in total.

PDG Francis Callard looks on as Oliver Quambusch accepts the keys for the Hyundai H-100 bakkie from President Jankees. Next to them are Frayne Mathijs, Mike Vink and Mike Macdonald, the man who found the bake for Hotel Hope. Standing on the back are Paul Kasango, Linda Vink, Judy Sligcher, Sam Donet, Joan Donet, Lucille Blumberg and Greg Smith

     The photograph above tells a story of two years of effort to arrange a donation to Hotel Hope Ministries in Melville. After many plans were made and scrapped, Oliver Quambusch, director, decided that a bakkie to do the heavy lifting for the Resurrection charity shop in Melville, was what they needed most.
     It was a happy occasion (even if the "champagne" was non-alcoholic) and marked by far the largest donation ever by the club.
     This of course was only possible because of the generous donation of 4000 Euros two years ago by the Rotary Club of Delft in the Netherlands and we really missed having Marja and Bert Ettekoven, ex-members of New Dawn and now active Rotarians in the Netherlands, with us for the handover.
     The vehicle is prominently branded as a donation from New Dawn, which should open doors for the club when we try to raise funds in the area in the future.

The three musketeers show off the sponsorship logo on the front door of the bakkie: Oliver Quambusch of Hotel Hope, Jankees Sligcher, who was intimately involved in the donation during both of his presidencies and Mike Macdonald, who used all his skills from years in the motor trade to source and buy the bakkie.

     Many thanks once again to everyone who was involved in this effort. It was often frustrating, but ultimately very rewarding.
     The best of all is that the bakkie is already to be seen in the streets of Melville, with the Rotary logo prominent next to that of Hotel Hope, which has now been added.
     Dates to remember: On Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May everyone is welcome to join in the fun at the Parkview Spar collecting money for blankets. Also on Saturday is Steve Margo's farewell breakfast at the Codfather restaurant in Sandton.
     A Thought for the Week: We are here on earth to do good unto others. What the others are here for, I have no idea. - W.H. Auden (1907-1973)