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Bolander - Bolanders dig deep for Chance Trust
Delarey, Delarey, Delarey! Sal jy ons teen die khaki begelei?” blares from the amplifiers to a rousing cheer from the guest as Bok van Blerk and his band belt out their seminal number with gusto.
I’m sitting in the audience of 80 people at the Alluvia Wine Estate in the Banhoek Valley, a stone’s throw away from the little hamlet of Pniel. It is a fundraising event for the Give me a Chance trust, started in 2004 by Delarey and Sandie Brugman to benefit learners from the improverished Kylemore community, and the audience is rocking. One of the very few rooinekke in the gathering, I admit feeling something of an outsider as the emotional rendition of “De la Rey” gets red blood cells flowing. I can literally feel the sense of pride building in the crowed.
“We started the Give me a Chance trust fund to make a difference in the lives of promising young people and considerate a privilege to contribute to nurturing their potential.” Says Mr Brugman, the great -great- grandson of the General De La Rey lauded in Bok van Blerk’s provocative number.
Ten learners from Kylemore Secondary School currently benefit from the trust, selected because of their talents in the academic, sporting and cultural fields. A number of them spoke during the event and their maturity and potential was evident.
“We worried that he (Mr Brugman) wanted to use pupils and staff, but that was not the case,” said Adam de Vries, principal of Kylemore Secondary School, describing what went through his mind when he was first approached by Mr Brugman in 2004. “I want to thank Delarey for his vision. I know with him at the helm, this initiative will make a difference in this valley.” The guests reflected the cream of Boland Afrikaans society, with a sprinkling of foreign visitors and, and friends – some of them who journeyed to South Africa especially for the fund raiser.
Nattily dressed young men milled about, many accompanied by the SA equivalent of a Sloane Ranger, under an enormous canvas spread to ward off the evening chill and the rumor of rain.
During the auction, the bidding was brisk, and all the donated items fetched substantial prices.
A Springbok rugby jersey donated by CJ van de Linde, signed by our World Cup winning team, was knocked down for R30 000, followed by a frame print of the original photograph of General De la Rey given to his grandchild and a biography signed by Mr Brugman and Bok van Blerk, whose performance that evening was his contribution to the event.
A bottle of the world famous Dufort Vivens 1998 donated by Gonzac Lurton sold for R15 000. A total R150 000 was raised, all of which will accrue to the trust, augmented by the R795 a person cost for the dinner.
Several top wine producers (Simonsig, Knoerhok, Rustenberg, Villiera, Delaire, Tokara, Thelma, Yonder Hill, Clouds, Molen Vleit, Vriesenhof ans Eaglevlei) and local suppliers contributed their services, equipment and prizes in support of the event. A limited edition 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was launched under the “Give me a Chance” label, and all proceeds went to the fund.
“We will continue to support and nurture the tremendous talent which we have in the Kylemore community,” said Mr Brugman.
“The fund helps these children, who dare to dream and are willing to work to hard at achieving their goals, by paying for scholarship programmes and to create a network of strong role models – everything goes directly towards the children’s school and hostel fees, school clothing, books and sport equipment.”
With the volume of the music and enthusiasm of the crowed increasing as the levels in the donated wine bottles decrease, I headed for the Helshoogte Pass and the long, dark road home to Somerset West, and concluded that this was one of the finest examples of reconciliation and reaching across the divide I have witnessed in the past 13 years.
