Golf Day a Success On and Off the Course

Give yourselves a round of applause for a most exciting and very successful Golf Day 2019. Most members who were available joined at some stage or the other and at best count, 28 of the 34 New Dawn people were there.
     The Golf Day is our biggest fundraiser and seems to be growing each year in all respects; the number of golfers increases annually, as does the number of sponsors and raffle income.

Some of the New Dawn team at the Golf Day at Parkview Golf Club on Friday

     Indications are that the income could be over R120 000, although the green fees and the meals at halfway house and the evening hamburgers will still have to be subtracted from that.
     Well done to Mike MacDonald and Greg Smith for organising such a successful day and to everyone who contributed by bringing in golfers, by sponsoring holes or the halfway house, or by contributing to the Barrow of Booze and in any other way.

Graham Donet, the Master of Ceremonies, congratulates Matt Matthee on winning the Bollerwagen of Booze

     The raffle netted a bit less than in previous years, but the total collected on Friday mainly due to the efforts of Julian Nagy, Adele Dabbs and Amina Frense, was more than on the corresponding day last year.
     Friday's take was in the region of R12 000 compared with R10 600 last year.

Paul-Michael Keichel and Justin Sloane were the runners-up

Mike MacDonald and Greg Smith, the golfing dynamo team, hand out prizes to Russ Smith and her partner, Liz Read (far left) who came 4th overall

          The overall winners were Kayleigh Woodman and Justin Louw. Second were Justin Sloane and Paul-Michael Keichel and third Michael Sardinha and Jayson McGregor.
     Tony Reddy was nearest to the pin on the 3rd, Adriaen Sligcher nearest to the pin on the 15th, and Sean Mills nearest to the pin on the 15th.
     Niamh Klinkenberg hit the longest drive on the 18th for the ladies and Hendrik Wessels the longest drive on the 18th for the men.

Helene Bramwell and Adele Dabbs also contributed a great amount 

     Tim Byrne of Parktown North bought the winning raffle ticket outside the Parkview Spar. We never got to see him, as he fetched his wheelbarrow and nearly four 12-bottle cases of wine and other liquor from the golf club on Saturday morning.
     As mentioned, Matt Matthee won the raffle draw for people there on the day.
     Matt was one of the golfers and has attended New Dawn meetings and functions before.
     He is, coincidentally, also the speaker for Wednesday. Matt, an economist, will be speaking about the world economy and how it impacts South Africa.

David Marshall with his box of balls

     Prominent amongst the sponsors were Jankees Sligcher, who sponsored the halfway house to the tune of R5000 in the name of Royal Pas Reform, his mother company in the Netherlands. Helene Bramwell's business The Mask sponsored a hole, as did Karlien Kruger.
     Outside sponsors of R2000 each were BBM Law, Revamp Rand, Aspire Wealth (Grace van Zyl), Jawitz and Matthew Emanuel, Judy Symons' son who couldn't be there on the day. Ben Kruger gave R10 000 to more than cover the cost of two 4-Balls.
     Prize sponsors included Europcar, City Lodge, Impala Meat, The Mask, pressure hoses from Carol Stier and jewellery from Carl and Jacquie Chemaly.

The two Judy's (President Judy Sligcher, left and Judy Symons, right) during the raffle draw. When Judy Symons drew her son Matthew's winning ticket, she promptly put it back in the bowl. Matthew is a previous winner of the Barrow of Booze

     Grace van Zyl, president of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg, not only sponsored a hole, but sold stationery packs at her hole which she then took to donate  to her projects, but passed the R3 200 thus earned on to the club.

Sam Deverneuil and Joan Donet formed a mother-and-daughter team at the initial registration table along with Frayne Mathijs

     Adele Dabbs sponsored a three-night stay at her home in St Francis Bay on a silent auction. Helene Bramwell ended up getting it for R6000, a bargain if ever there was one.
     Adele also sponsored a 4-ball and has promised to put a three-night stay in St. Francis up for auction at the upcoming Festive Dinner.

Paul Kasango with "his" banner

     The two new club banners, designed by Carol Stier and commissioned by Karlien Kruger, drew a lot of admiring attention. Paul Kasango posed with children from the 5Cees for the banner with the theme: Inspire.
     These banners will help to publicise the club and everything we do.
     Debbie Smith displayed her jewellery at the prize-giving and reported brisk sales. She has pledged 15% of the proceeds to New Dawn.
      A great big thank you once again to everyone involved. I trust I've not left any names out but if I have, know that every effort was welcomed and contributed to the success of the day. Like the Springboks, we're better together.

Carin Holmes and Jenine Coetzer were at the meeting after not being able to attend for a while

     It was also great to report that a number of members who have not been able to attend meetings recently, pitched up again last week. Carin Homes, who has been travelling, was there, as was Jenine Coetzer, who took most of the photos for this blog.
     Carol Stier, who has had a foot operation and has been immobilised, was also there and she also made it to the Golf Day.

Hillary Biller, food editor of the Sunday Times

     A welcome visitor, Hillary Biller, food editor of the Sunday Times, was at the meeting as a guest of Helene Bramwell. Hillary donated three recipe books as Golf Day prizes.
     Please don't forget the Festive Dinner on Wednesday, 4 December at Marks Park.
     A Thought for the Week: A smile is a curve that sets everything straight. - Phyllis Diller (1917-2012)