Excitement filled the air on Tuesday, 15 December 2015 as Executive Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie received a cheque from former-Springbok Captain, and Overstrand Ambassador of Tourism, Bob Skinstad in the amount of R80,000, being the proceeds raised at the 2015 Seartec-Overstrand Classic Golf Challenge that took place in November at the picturesque Arabella Country Estate and Golf Club.
These funds, garnered through Mayoral investment vehicle, the Nicolette Trust Fund, together with contributions from title sponsor Seartec (distributor of Sharp products) and substantial donor the Spar Retail Group, will once again be used to resource specifically earmarked Early Childhood Development centres (ECD) with essential items to promote a safe, healthy, stimulating and holistic learning environment for the young children in their care.
This well-attended and -supported annual charity event was borne from a conversation held between Botha-Guthrie and Skinstad a few years back on how best they could ‘pay it forward’, whilst in the same instance doing something significant in their official capacity that would make a difference in the lives and environment of the Overstrand and its people. To this end, the communications and events management services of Sue Anderson, Seartec’s and simultaneously Bob Skinstad’s Public Relations Manager, was engaged and the inaugural Seartec-Overstrand Classic Golf Challenge subsequently kicked off to a resounding start in December last year.
On receiving the proceeds from Bob Skinstad at a specially designed event held in her office earlier in the day, the Mayor said “the wonderful display of togetherness by participants, sponsors, donors and the community at large has once again afforded the means to ensure that the educators, practitioners and facilities of this essential foundation phase of education will receive the necessary attention and appropriate resources. My gratitude to Seartec, and all involved, knows no bounds.”
Skinstad’s tongue-in-cheek rejoinder to the Mayor’s statement was, “Now that I’m retired from rugby, I get to play my other favourite sport in what I consider to be the most beautiful part of the Cape.!” (Article shortened: Editor)
Charmaine Resandt
