The Helderberg Sunrise Rotary Club celebrates a significant milestone: two decades of service to the Helderberg community and beyond.
Chartered on 6 June 2006, the club marked its 20th birthday on Saturday 6 June, with many of its original charter members still actively involved in operations.
Over the years, the club has built a legacy of community-driven projects, with education at the heart of its mission. A long-standing focus on literacy and numeracy has seen the club supply supplementary learning materials to schools in disadvantaged areas, delivering measurable improvements in learner outcomes.
Recognising the need for sustainable, cost-effective solutions, the club has installed computer rooms in schools in Macassar, giving learners access to online learning programmes.
The results have been remarkable; Oklahoma Primary School principal, Joanne Apollis, recently praised the initiative, reporting an average improvement of 20% in learners’ maths results following systemic testing. “The learners are accessing valuable additional learning programmes,” said Apollis, who also commended the club for its continued and committed support of the school.
Beyond education, the club has partnered with local organisations in early childhood development and has planted food gardens to tackle food insecurity. In a further demonstration of its community reach, Helderberg Sunrise donated a state-of-the-art portable sonar scanning machine to Helderberg Hospital’s emergency facility, complete with staff training.
The club’s annual support of the Wine2Whales MTB race remains its flagship fundraising event, transporting participants’ vehicles over nine days of racing while also partnering with charities to generate additional income for those organisations.
Youth development is another cornerstone its work. Interact clubs are active at four local high schools, with learners sponsored annually to attend Rotary Youth Leadership camps in Franschhoek. The club also participates in the Rotary Youth Exchange Programme, with a student currently on exchange in France.
The “Go For Gold” initiative further underscores the club’s commitment to youth, mentoring students from disadvantaged backgrounds with strong maths and science results towards bursaries in civil engineering.
Residents of the Helderberg will soon spot club members in their signature green golf shirts at local shopping centres, promoting the annual Winter Blanket Drive.
- To mark their 20th anniversary, members celebrated with a 1920s-themed party on Saturday (6 June). Club members gather every Tuesday at Sage & Thyme restaurant at Circle Centre in Somerset West at 18:30 for 19:00.
- For more information on the club, visit www.hsrotary.co.za, find them on Facebook, or send an email to secretary@hsrotary.co.za.
