Cathy Specific aka Brendan van Rhyn dazzled the stage at Die Koelkamers in Paternoster on Saturday 12 March. Guests enjoyed music, poetry by Elton Lesch, comedy and art.
This show was all part of a special fundraising benefit in aid of the Hoopsig Centre in Paternoster.
Joan Kruger, previous director of Hoopsig Centre, said the show was a huge success. All funds raised will be used to benefit each and every child.
Executive Mayor of Saldanha Bay André Truter also attended the event and said everyone should do everything in their power to ensure that Hoopsig and similar projects remain a beacon of hope and a moral compass to the great city developing within the next six to 10 years in the Saldanha Bay Municipality.
Christian Neuber, founder of the Paternoster Project NPC, reiterated that the German partners were as committed to the project as ever. “One of the advantages of Covid-19 was that the project was taken over locally and now, after six years, we are already where we wanted to be after ten years.”
During the evening the new board was also introduced to the guests. Neuber thanked the previous directors, André Kleynhans, Muller Coetzee and Joan Kruger, for their services in building up the programme, especially during the time of Covid-19 when the need was the greatest.
Jeanette Marais, the new chairperson of the board, introduced the incoming directors: Maike Reinhardt, who has been a director since 2016, Marius Cloete, Dr Eileen Africa and Meiring Tarrant.
“Children hold the power to what the world will become,” Marais said. “It’s up to us to protect them, to nurture and empower them to fulfil their potential.”
In his farewell address the previous chairperson, André Kleynhans, used the example of crayfish who have to shed their outer skeleton for growth to take place.
Similarly, Hoopsig and the people connected with it regularly have to take leave of directors to encourage new growth. He assured the new board that they could count on continuing support from previous directors.
Paintings by Wilko Roon and Margerie Stofberg and a photograph by Adrian Venter were put up for auction, with all proceeds going towards Hoopsig.
