ADVENTURE: Cape Town 2018
For the past few years we have had a small group of ladies in Cape Town and a few of us from the main Johannesburg branch go down to do an adventure with them and do some of our most rewarding charity work.
This year was no different except that when we left the branch is now up and functioning independently with their own fundraising events, ongoing charity functions and a larger group than ever before. They will be having a Barnyard Event on 25 October. Raffle tickets will be on sale from now until the function at a cost of R20 each or R100 for 6. The prize kindly donated by Vic Baptista or Semper is a 2 night stay for 2 at the Wilderness Hotel. Please contact info@adventuresforlove.co.za should you wish to purchase some raffle tickets.
As usual we all gathered at the Cape Town airport and this year we headed off to Pringle Bay to Inge Kruger of Sure Kloof Travel’s most beautiful home. It did not take us long to take over the beautiful home and make it ours for the next few days. We were soon settled with our One Grape wine being drunk in our very own Adventures for Love glasses very kindly donated and shipped by Gareth on One Grape.
Friday morning we headed off to Pikkewyntjies School in Betty’s Bay which is an amazing community school run by Zaan who has it in her heart to give children with a sad upbringing a brighter few years during their nursery school years. All they requested from us was to gather stones and secure the netting along their fence to keep the snakes and mice out of the school playground as the children were terrified when they encountered these creatures. We were greeted with a beautiful tea and home made scones and then gave the children a day to remember with face painting, balloon tennis, biscuit decorating and some soccer with balls that had been donated by Total Sports. (Read the article about or visit here)
With warm hearts we headed for an amazing lunch at Bientang’s Cave where we were privileged to have the most amazing Hermanus Whale show.
Saturday saw us make an early start off to Ekukhanyiselweni School where we embarked on a project in collaboration with the Put Foot Rally and the Shoe Foundation who had arranged the donation of 450 pairs of shoes and socks. A bakkie load of stationery had been donated by one of the amazing 2018 Put Foot Rally teams – the Hot Chilli China’s. The first crowd to meet us on site were the Prime Time Express owner and staff who had very kindly couriered the shoes, socks and stationery from all over South Africa to the school. This had been done at no charge.
As we started to lace the shoes and pack goodie bags many Put Foot rally veterans arrived to join in for the shoe drop and they once again experienced the thrill of being able to give a child a pair of shoes, new socks, a bag of stationery together with a hot dog and a cold drink. To say the parents, teachers and children had a marvelous day was evident by amazing thank you letter we go from the management of the school.
Sunday started with a great pilates session on the Pringle Bay beach and then most of the adventurous ladies tackled the Zipline in Elgin. It was freezing cold and for many a bigger challenge than they had previously faced but after four long cold hours they were truly delighted with what they had achieved. Dinner that night was in one of the local Pringle restaurants and I am sure some of the locals who live in the peace and calm of Pringle Bay were shocked by the AFL noise.
Monday morning we awoke to blustering winds and the smell of bacon and eggs being prepared by Inge who had driven down from Cape Town to surprise us. A treat but she did tell us that she had checked with some of the experienced hikers who had advised that we should not hike in the winds. It did not take us long to decide we would rather visit the wine farms of the Hegel & Aarde Valley. We returned for dinner at the local Hook, Line and Sinker restaurant where we were greeted by the amazing owner who fed us loads of wine and beautiful seafood platters. She then made a very generous donation to AFL. Thank you Hook, Line and Sinker for your amazing hospitality and kindness.
Tuesday saw us leave our beautiful home and hostess and depart in many different directions – some of us may not see each other until the Cape Town adventure next year but we all have an amazing bond and look forward to many more happy times where we can help make people’s lives a little brighter.
Special thanks go to:
- Ingle Kruger of Sure Kloof Travel
- Gareth of One Grape Holdings
- AFL Cape Town donors
- Simon Davies and the team at Prime Time Express
- Jacqui and the team at Hook, Line and Sinker
- Daryn Hillhouse and the Put Foot Rally
- The Shoe Foundation
- Hot Chilli Chikkas
- Put Foot Rally Veterans
- Vic Baptista of MS Semper for sponsoring the AFL Cape Town raffle prize – a 2 day stay for 2 at the Wilderness Hotel
