October reminds us always of breast cancer awareness month, with 1 in 27 South African women likely to be diagnosed with the disease at some time in their lives. Our minds have been on all things pink and floral, and our team has been busy with back-to-back community outreach events and fundraisers.
AGM
August was a very active month for Helderberg Hospice with 3 well-attended events taking place back-to-back. Starting with the Annual General Meeting on the 24th, members of the public were invited to attend virtually, and Chairman Julian Weil, Treasurer Brian van der Grijp and CEO Robert de Wet summarized the 2021 financial year. Should you wish to be emailed a copy of the Impact Report or the Audited Financial Statements, please contact Cheryl Rundle.
Golf Day
Our Golf Day took place at Somerset West Golf Course on 26 August and was a wonderful day of golf despite an icy wind chasing players from hole to hole! A very big thank you to all the participants, sponsors, Wouter Geldenhuys and the Somerset West Golf Course for making this such a successful and enjoyable day. Golfers, keep a keen eye on April next year for our 2023 Annual Golf Day!
Blooms of Spring High Tea
Hot on the heels of Golf Day was the first ever “Blooms of Spring” High Tea for Hospice, held in the St Joseph’s the Worker Church Hall in Macassar on 28 August. The hall was a spectacular sight, packed to capacity with tables decorated by each hostess with beautiful crockery and linen, and groaning under the weight of delectable teatime treats. Musical entertainment was provided by Bevan Sylvester, Gillian Francis and Carlton Koopman, and a moving dance routine was performed by Jesmine Koopman. MC Harold van der Merwe and organizer Riaan Franks ensured a seamless and enjoyable event despite challenges from Eskom. Thank you to the hostesses, participants and tireless organisers – this was definitely an event to be repeated!
Open Gardens
Our annual gardening extravaganza took place on the weekend of 21 – 23 October. Proudly sponsored by Chas Everitt Somerset West, ticket holders browsed 15 gardens in the Helderberg region over three days.
The support from the visitors in attendance allows us to offer specialized palliative care to all in our community facing the challenge of a life-threatening illness, regardless of whether they are able to meet the costs associated with this medical care. A fun filled garden-touring weekend was had by all who also enjoyed plant sales, craft stalls, delicious Mexican food and flavoursome coffee at our Hospice garden.
Staff
Join us in welcoming new staff to the Helderberg Hospice family. Sr Mari Wilson is a Nursing Sister in our Support Centre, and Rebekah DelSoullier is Housekeeping Supervisor. We wish them both a long and happy stay with Helderberg Hospice.
Tree Of Lights
Next up on our events calendar is the very special Tree of Lights Evening, this year on 25 November. This very special evening is a celebration of the life of loved ones that have passed, be they friends, family or much-loved fur babies. Buy a name tag for only R60 in memory of your loved one and their names will hang on the Hospice tree on lights for the whole month of December. Such a wonderful way to herald the festive season by acknowledging those whose presence is always a part of our lives. Click on this link if you would like to purchase your name tags online.
Carols by Candlelight
We round our festive season off with Carols by Candlelight, at the beautiful Vergelegen Estate, this year on Wednesday 14 December. It promises to be a truly magical evening. Not only are we drawing the name of the lucky winner of the Hyundai i10 vehicle in our Win a Car competition, but we are so proud to announce that the Music Director is Richard Cock, and the amazing Mzanzi Tenors will be performing together with soprano Melissa Lindoor-Moses! Make sure that the year could end with winning a Hyundai i10-shaped present by making sure you have bought your tickets for the Win a Car competition. The winner could be YOU!
If you haven’t yet bought your ticket for the Win a Car competition, now is your chance! Just click on the image below.
