PROJECT: Pirates Community Food Drop
AFL was approached by one of the Pirates Rugby Old Boys, Steve Hollis to partner up with the Pirates Sports Club in a food drop in aid of those less fortunate during the COVID 19- Lockdown. We took up the opportunity immediately and what an honour and absolutely humbling experience it was and the whole became of the AFL Covid19 Food Drive.
Radio coverage was handled by another Pirates Old Boy, Barry Skjoldhammer, who together with Jeremy Mansfield from Hot 91.9fm and David O’Sullivan from Kya FM, the word was spread on both mornings of the 22nd and 23rd of April. eNCA filmed at the end of the event with Non Welsford the Club Manageress and Steve Hollis been interviewed Live!
The invitation was specifically for the residents of Greenside, Parktown North, Parkhurst, Parkview and Emmarentia to drive through the parking lot of the Club and drop off one shopping bag containing the following: –
- Mielie Meal – 2.5kgs
- Potatoes 1 Bag
- Soya Mince 1 Box
- Cabbage
- Tea Bags
- Sugar
- Loaf of Bread
- Peanut Butter OR
- Jam (easy open)
- Fruit Juice
Set up began at around 9.00am in the car park of the Club, together with a string of volunteers from Pirates, and three ladies from AFL, Carine Fraser, Colette Reid and Michelle Diesel. Gates remained closed but on opening at 10.00am, cars started flowing in, by 10.07am 50 bags had already been dropped off! By 10.30am, another 150 bags were dropped off….and so it continued.
We were overwhelmed by the generosity of this community. Many brought more than one bag of groceries, with some as many as 10 bags. We had a local green grocer who delivered large bags of sweet potatoes, oranges, cabbages, potatoes, bananas, a local baker who delivered 50 loaves of freshly baked bread, people who delivered 10 to 20, 2 l bottles of concentrated juices, long life milk, and the list goes on……
As the vehicles were driving through dropping off the groceries, Pirates members in their vehicles were leaving dropping off…..eventually we had to ask some of the beneficiaries to collect in their own vehicles as the car park was filling up with bags.
This had totally exceeded and went far beyond our expectations. We counted 462 vehicles in all who dropped off food and over 1200 bags of groceries were collected.
The beneficiaries of this food were the following: –
- HOPE Africa
- Greenside Residents Association
- Salvation Army Even Tide Old Age Home
- One Small Act of Kindness
- Society of St Vincent of Paul
- MES
- Ntataise ECD Centre -Diepsloot
- St Columbus Presbyterian Church
- Liberty Compassion
Love and the joy of giving was truly the order of the day, knowing that so many more tummies would be full that night made for a very good night sleep for all that participated. Thank you to all involved and for giving AFL the opportunity of participating.
We look forward to the next food drop, which is to take place on Thursday the 30th April 2020, once again at Pirates Sports Club.
